Domestic Bliss
by Sookie Manoso
Summary: The partners at RangeMan have all met the women of their dreams but HEAs don't come easy. Ranger, Tank, Lester and Bobby are moving forward in their relationships but the women in their lives are throwing them some serious curve balls. Find out how the badass former military guys and their women are going to adjust to becoming domesticated couples.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: I own nothing that you recognize.**

**A HUGE thank you to VaBabe for being an incredible Beta, all of your suggestions are really helping me develop this story. You're awesome!**

Chapter 1

Steph's POV

I just returned back to RangeMan after spending a productive morning picking up FTAs with Ram. Life was good. I wasn't covered in garbage, I had money in the bank and I was currently living with my sexy, loving, passionate boyfriend, Ranger, who also doubled as my boss.

My name is Stephanie Plum and I am 31 years old. I live in Trenton, New Jersey and am an employee of RangeMan where I work as a bounty hunter. I also run searches, do distractions and help with mountains of paperwork. I love my job and my life.

Ram is currently my partner and is a former sniper for the military. He's a badass.

Everyone I work with is a badass. I like to think of myself as a badass in training. I will never get to their level but I like to have something to aspire too.

Ram and I headed up to five so we could do paperwork. Ram would take care of filling out our FTA reports and I went to check my inbox for new searches. I also found a small piece of dark chocolate waiting for me. I couldn't help but grin.

I'm a recovering junk food addict. I've been much better since Ranger and I were officially dating but I seem to fall off the wagon…hard whenever he goes away on a mission or "into the wind" as the guys like to call it.

Ranger was recently gone for a few weeks and I may have put on some weight. I gained about ten pounds. He doesn't seem to mind or care but it bothered me.

So he cleaned out the cabinets and threw away all my junk food and I've been on a strict organic diet for the past week. I've also increased my cardio. Ranger's decided that I need to learn moderation considering I go from eating fish and steamed vegetables when he's home to living off Ben and Jerry's and Tastycakes when he's gone. So every other day he leaves a piece of dark chocolate on my desk.

If you saw Ranger on the street you would probably be terrified of him. He dresses in all black, he's over six feet tall with mocha latte colored skin and an insane amount of muscles. He also carries two guns and a knife at all times. His name isn't actually Ranger, that's just his street name. He used to be in the Army Rangers and the nickname stuck. His real name is Ricardo Carlos Manoso and he can be a scary badass when he wants to be.

He can also be kind, caring, loving, charming and sweet. At least he can when he thinks no one is looking. He may not be the perfect boyfriend but I like to think he's perfect for me.

I finished up my searches and wandered down to Ranger's office. He was just leaving with a large blond man. By the short hair and the ridiculous shape he was in I was guessing this was a new hire. Ranger's face broke into a full smile when he saw me. I felt my heart rate increase.

Damn the things that just the sight of this man can do to me.

"Stephanie Plum, I would like to introduce to you our newest higher Erik Tanner" Ranger said.

I held out my hand and said "It's nice to meet you Erik. Welcome to RangeMan."

Erik took my hand dubiously "I didn't realize RangeMan has a cheerleadering team" he scoffed.

What an asshole. I wouldn't normally mind being told I had a cheerleader's body especially in front of Ranger – but the condescension in this guy's voice made it clear it wasn't a compliment.

I didn't let the smile leave my face. "Well handsome, funny and charming. The ladies of Trenton better lock their doors" I said sarcastically.

Ranger raised his eyebrows at me. "Erik, Steph works as a BEA and is our best researcher. I wouldn't piss her off, you'll eventually need her" Ranger said mildly.

Erik looked me up and down with a smirk and then continued walking.

I shot Ranger a look.

"We'll talk later" he whispered before kissing me quickly on the lips then walking after Erik.

I just glared after them both before heading up to seven to change into gym clothes.

Lester's POV

I just met the new recruit Erik Tanner. Apparently he was an explosives expert. RangeMan never had a man that knew as much about blowing shit up as Tanner did. He was going to be an asset…if he could get over his problem with women.

We thoroughly research every man before he joins RangeMan and Tanner has a reputation of being disrespectful to women. He's never been violent but he sees them as only being good for one thing.

He is also the best there is in his field. He can disable just about any bomb there is and he's even better at making them.

Tank thinks that we can adjust his attitude. I'm not so sure. I can see how he would be an asset but none of the guys are going to tolerate Tanner disrespecting any of our women. Tank already claims he has a plan so we'll see how this works out.

I had just finished up my paperwork for the day and was heading back to my apartment on four. Alex had already finished up and should be waiting for me. I looked down at my left hand and smiled at the platinum band circling my ring finger. Alexis Lavoir and I have been married for over a month.

She is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Alexis, who prefers Alex and is often called by her code name Ace, is a former CIA deep cover agent. That's right, I married an ex-spy. I may have accidently been the reason that she lost her cover and was declassified, but we've moved past that.

Alex and I technically met in Iraq about eight years ago when I was deployed and she was undercover on a mission. We "reconnected" a few months ago after I mistakenly researched a few of her aliases and she was let go from the agency.

Thank god I'm smooth and somehow got this amazing woman to fall back in love with me. I even got her to agree to marry me. We just got back from our two week honeymoon in Hawaii and we are thoroughly enjoying married life.

I walked into our apartment and headed toward the bedroom. Alex walked out of the bedroom and I froze at the sight of her.

Her dark glossy hair was gently curled and hanging well past her shoulders. Her bright blue eyes sparkled through thick frames of the fake glasses she was wearing. Her perfect lips were painted a deep red. She was wearing black stiletto fuck me pumps and little black satin panties. She had on a white lab coat over this ensemble and nothing else.

My body was reacting to the outline of her breasts in that coat. If the coat would just slip a centimeter to the left or right…

"Lester Santos?" she said glancing at the clipboard she was holding.

I nodded unable to speak.

"The doctor will see you now" she said smirking at me as she turned away from me walking back into the bedroom.

Oh fuck yes!

I chased after her slamming the door behind me.

I fucking love being married.

Elaina's POV

I was in the Bobby's fourth floor office at RangeMan preparing to meet the new recruit. Tank asked me to go over his insurance and the company policies as a favor. I am not an employee of RangeMan.

I am an attorney who is a partner in the Chase Foundation. The Chase Foundation is a charity which helps people with chronic illnesses ensuring that they receive proper medical care. We help with insurance issues, doctors, treatments and even nutrition.

We work with a lot of veterans helping them navigate though the government red tape and making sure that they receive all the benefits that their entitled too. I've been spending more and more of my time on the veteran side of things.

It was clearly the influence of my current boyfriend, Robert Brown or Bobby which he prefers to go by. Bobby and I have been together for about nine months. He is a former army Ranger and is now a partner at RangeMan. This company is his baby.

He is also a medic, bounty hunter and sometimes mercenary. Bobby has been trying to involve me more in his company business which is very sweet, but since I have my own business and my own career it's not exactly necessary.

I do occasional favors such as attend client meetings or review certain contracts for them but I refuse to take on a more permanent position, much to Bobby's chagrin. Tank asked me to meet with the new recruit because he was too busy today. I had an opening in my schedule so I agreed…and I knew it would make my boyfriend happy.

I heard a knock on the door and Ranger poked his head in "Elaina, are you ready for Erik Tanner?" he asked me.

"Of course" I replied walking around the desk.

A large blonde man entered the room. I judged him to be a little shorter then Bobby who was about 6'2''. I'm only 5'1''…5'4'' in the heels which I usually wear while working.

I held out my hand "Elaina Merritt" I said introducing myself.

Erik Tanner took my hand. "Aren't you a sweet little thing" he said as his eyes traveled up and down my body.

Ew. This guy was undressing me with his eyes. Isn't it his first day? What an idiot.

"Not particularly. Have a seat we have a few things to go over" I said gesturing to the chair, ignoring his creepy gaze.

He sat down and I began going over his contract with him. He clearly wasn't listening but I didn't see this as my problem.

"You seem a little uptight" he said interrupting me.

Is this guy serious?

I suppressed an eye roll and sigh and answered "I'm fine, thank you."

I continued explaining RangeMan's benefits package.

Erik Tanner once again interrupted me. "I bet you haven't gotten it good in a long time" he said as a small smile appeared on his lips.

Oh for the love of god. Is this guy serious?

Tank is going to fucking owe me for this shit.

"That doesn't really have anything to do with RangeMan's dental plan" I said and then picked up right where we left off.

"You're really cold. I bet I can make you hot. All you have to do is say the word" he whispered his eyes shining with intensity as he leaned towards me.

I refused to let my body recoil which was my immediate reaction.

He can't really be hitting on me. There is no way this approach would work on _any_ woman.

I studied him for a moment.

No, he isn't hitting on me. He's trying to make me flinch. Well that's not happening asshole. Does he really think he can intimidate me?

I didn't allow my face to show any emotion. It's one of the tricks you pick up as litigator. You can't let the other side see you sweat.

I glanced at his resume and looked back at him "I see you don't list 'Excellent People Skills' on your resume – so let me spell this out to you. Not interested" I said mildly. "Sign on the dotted line" I continued sliding him his contract.

Erik Tanner's eyes were on the ground and he was turning a lovely shade of pink. Now that made me smile.

"Have any other questions or concerns?" I asked raising my eyebrows.

Erik Tanner looked up and glared at me. He then picked up the pen and signed his contract.

I heard a knock at the door and Ranger entered. "Are you all set with him Elaina?" he asked me.

"Yes, we just finished" I answered.

I stood and offered my hand to Erik Tanner. He took my hand and shook it, looking dumbfounded.

"Welcome to RangeMan" I said smiling at him.

Once they left I headed back to Bobby's apartment on four. Bobby was sitting at the island going over paperwork, most likely the medical supply inventory. I stood for a moment enjoying the sight of him.

He was a gorgeous man. He had light brown hair, which he kept very short and hazel eyes which sometimes looked green depending on what he was wearing. Like all the men who worked here he was in incredible shape. He was built slightly leaner than the rest of the guys but still had a broad chest and narrow hips. He was also the best man I've ever met.

There are days when I wondered what he was doing with a woman like me.

"Hey Baby, where have you been?" Bobby asked spinning in the chair to face me.

"Tank asked me to go over a new recruit's contract and insurance benefits with him. I used your office, I hope you don't mind" I replied putting down my purse.

Bobby's eyebrows raised "He asked you to talk to Erik Tanner?" he asked.

"Yes, I did it as a favor" I smiled at him.

"Thank you for helping out my company. How did it go?" he asked as he pulled me by the hand into him and encircled me with his arms.

"No problems" I answered.

Bobby leanded down and kissed me gently.

I broke our kiss and whispered "I figured since I wasn't getting paid, we could work something else out."

Bobby gave me a small smile and mumbled in my ear "What did you have in mind Ms. Merritt?"

I released my dirty blonde hair from my bun letting it fall down my back and then slipped my hands under my dress and pulled at my panties letting them fall down my legs. I stepped out of them easily.

I watched Bobby's eyes widen and then darken.

"I think you can come up with something" I said as I slid my arms back around him.

He kissed me softly and then I moaned as he slipped his tongue past my lips. I heard him growl as he picked me up easily and I wrapped my legs around his hips.

"Ms. Merritt, by the end of tonight you will owe me a favor" he whispered hotly as he nibbled my ear and carried me to the bedroom.

"I love doing business with you" I sighed as I began kissing down his neck.

Poor Erik Tanner clearly hasn't gotten it good in a long time, while I have it amazing every night.

Tank's POV

Ranger and I sat down to review the footage of Tanner and Elaina in Ranger's office.

"How did she look to you?" I asked.

"Fine, but it's Elaina" he pointed out.

I nodded. Tanner has issues with women which is specifically why I asked Elaina to go over paperwork with him. I wanted to record how he behaved around a woman when one of the partners weren't around. Elaina Merritt is also tough as nails and doesn't take shit from anyone, so I knew she could handle it.

What I wasn't sure of was how quickly Bobby was going to call me to the mats for asking her to meet with Tanner alone. I may have neglected this part of my plan when discussing hiring Tanner with him.

"He was rude to Steph. Called her a cheerleader" Ranger said.

"Shit. She didn't hit him did she?" I asked.

"She did good. Gave it right back to him. I'm proud of her" Ranger said giving me a grin.

"Well let's see how Elaina handled him and if Bobby is going to try to kill me tomorrow" I said.

I turned on the feed and Ranger and I watched as Tanner entered the room. Elaina walked over and shook his hand like a professional meeting his eyes with no intimidation.

Tanner took one look at Elaina and then called her a "sweet little thing." Shit.

To Elaina's credit she didn't even blink. She didn't even miss a beat when responding "Not particularly" then launching into the things that they needed to go over.

Tanner clearly wasn't listening and was just leering at her while she talked. Elaina either didn't notice or didn't care. Her look of cold indifference never faltered.

Then Tanner dropped his line about making Elaina hot and I felt my rage building inside me. Who the fuck does he think he is talking to a woman like that? One of _our_ women.

I looked at Ranger's face and his eyes were filled with anger and his jaw was clenched.

We waited for Elaina's reaction while holding our breaths. I was waiting for her to lunge over the desk and throttle the man but once again she seemed to barely acknowledge what he said as she picked up his resume and made a smart ass comment about his excellent people skills and then bluntly told him she wasn't interested_._

I almost laughed my ass off my chair when I saw Tanner's face turn beet red, Ranger grinned and shook his head.

That woman was unflappable. Bobby was still going to beat my ass once he saw this but I know now it won't be nearly as bad considering Elaina Merritt clearly had no issue standing up for herself.

"The guy still needs a fucking attitude adjustment" Ranger said looking at me.

"Agreed but I think we can handle it. We could really use a bomb expert" I pointed out.

Ranger nodded his agreement.

"Alright, I'm headed home. I will see you tomorrow" I said as I stood up. Ranger gave me a nod.

I drove back to my home on the out skirts of Trenton. The other guys have apartments at RangeMan. I was offered one on the seventh floor but I honestly liked having some space.

I love my business but at the end of the day I need to leave work at work. I wanted a personal life which is one of the reasons I've stopped going into the wind. I walked into my home and smiled when I entered the kitchen and Lula was at the kitchen table surrounded by books.

My woman is beyond impressive. Lula has been through some serious shit. Drug addiction, prostitution she was raped, beaten and mutilated by a sick bastard and instead of giving up on life she used it as motivation to turn her life around.

She quit hooking, cleaned up her act and got a job as a file clerk at Vinnie's bond shop. She started going to school at night and took the GED which she crushed and now she was finishing up her associates degree in sociology and was planning on becoming a social worker. My woman is a fighter and a survivor. I know she could really help people.

About six months ago the doctor told Lula she was pre-diabetic. Lula loves her junk food and was really upset, but like everything else in her life she took the bull by the horns. She said if she could survive the first thirty years of her life with all the drugs and abuse she'd be damned if food was going to kill her now.

Elaina and Bobby came over with a nutritionist and they sat down and came up with a plan for her. Elaina is always helping Lula with her diet and Bobby got her on a workout regime that she was willing to comply too. Lula has lost 40 pounds and is in excellent shape. Not only is she no longer pre-diabetic but her blood pressure and cholesterol have greatly improved. She still has her curves but now she's just a healthier version of herself and she's happier.

I walked into the kitchen and kissed her head "How was your day?" I asked her.

She beamed up at me "Fine, just gearing up for finals and I have a job interview next week" she replied.

"That's amazing honey! Why don't I take you to dinner to celebrate?" I said.

"I wish we could I just have too much work to do. Can we postpone till Friday?" she asked looking at me apologetically.

"Of course. I'll take care of dinner tonight why don't you go study in the office" I suggested.

"Thank you Pierre" she said as she stood up and gave me a long kiss in gratitude.

Between working full time and school Lula has been incredibly busy and I was really looking forward to graduation and getting my partner in crime back. Don't get me wrong I am extremely proud of her I guess I just miss all the time we used to spend together.

I took out some fish from the refrigerator as well as some asparagus and started cooking for the most incredible woman I have ever met.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: Once again I own nothing you recognize. **

**Thank you to everyone for all my reviews! I read them all and appreciate every one! Keep em' coming!**

**Special thank you to my Beta guru VaBabe for helping me so much with a chapter I was really struggling with!**

Chapter 2

Ranger's POV

I finished up my paperwork for the day and headed up to seven to have dinner with Stephanie. She was putting the brown rice and stir fry Ella made on two plates. She poured us both water and we sat down to dinner.

My Babe has been kicking ass at sticking with her new diet.

"So, are you going to explain why some asshole thinks I'm a cheerleader?" she asked.

"Because you look extremely flexible and enthusiastic?" I guessed giving her a smile.

"Try again," she said.

"Babe, Erik Tanner is an explosives expert. We could really use him on our team. We know about his…uh attitude problem and we've decided to try and break him of his bad habits," I tried to explain.

"And if you can't break him of his misogynistic ways?" she asked.

"He will of course be fired," I said. "If you or any other woman feels the least bit threatened around him I want to know immediately," I continued.

"I don't feel threatened by him. I just think he's a douchebag who is going to be really difficult to work with seeing as he clearly doesn't respect me. You better warn Ella to watch her back," she said glancing up at me.

Ella was my aunt and she was also the RangeMan housekeeper. She cleaned, cooked and took general care of all of the employees. Steph calls her the house mom and I suppose that's more accurate considering the way everyone feels about her.

If Erik even thought about fucking with Ella and the men got wind of it, I guarantee his body would disappear, never to be found.

"I'm thinking of pairing him with Ace once she gets back from her next mission," I said.

That made Steph smile.

Ace was Lester's wife and the best employee the company had. She was CIA to the bone and has been known to toss us all around on the mats during sparing lessons. Sometimes she would take on three at once.

"What's Lester going to say about that?" Steph asked as she raised her eyebrows at me.

"He won't like it. He'll be nervous that she'll 'accidently' break his neck if he crosses her," I said.

Steph snorted.

She has a suspicion that Alex was a former spy but we've never been able to confirm it to her. She also thinks I'm joking but I've been in the wind with Ace and she's fucking deadly.

I think it may be beneficial for Tanner's ego to be tossed around the mats by Mrs. Santos. God knows it did wonders for mine.

After we finished dinner I grabbed a bottle of wine and took Steph to the roof deck of RangeMan. Bobby and Elaina were already there sharing a bottle of wine talking softly. It was a gorgeous April night.

"Do you guys mind if we crash your party?" asked Steph.

"Crash away," said Bobby as he and Elaina adjusted their chairs so we could pull up to the table.

"So did you get a chance to meet the new recruit today?" Steph asked Elaina.

"I did. I went over Erik Tanner's paperwork with him today," Elaina replied.

"Yeah, apparently Tank was too busy," Bobby said shooting me a look.

I busied myself with opening the bottle of wine.

"Was he as much of an ass to you as he was to me?" Steph asked.

"What did he do to you?" Bobby asked.

"When Carlos introduced me he said that he didn't realize that RangeMan hired cheerleaders" she said.

"Carlos, it sounds like you may have a walking law suit on your hands," Elaina said with a small smile.

"Elaina, please refrain from encouraging my girlfriend to sue me," I sighed.

"I'm a lawyer. I was simply presenting her with her options," she countered as her smile got wider.

"And you wonder why people hate lawyers," I grumbled.

Elaina let out a good natured laugh. "I've never wondered" she said easily.

Bobby brushed a strand of Elaina's hair affectionately out of her face "Tanner didn't say anything inappropriate to Elaina," he said to Stephanie.

I turned and shot Elaina a look. I watched her shift uncomfortably, she doesn't lie to Bobby but she seems to have issues with hiding things.

"I didn't exactly say that. I just said I didn't have any problems with Tanner," Elaina said slowly.

Steph's eyebrows went up and Bobby shot her a look of frustration and concern.

"Elaina, what the hell did he say to you?" Bobby asked.

She sighed "He called me a 'sweet little thing.' Then he made some comments about how I looked like I haven't gotten any in awhile and that I was cold. He said that he could heat me up," she said casually.

"You call that not having a problem Elaina? Now this is why people hate lawyers. You never lie but you certainly are good at omitting some pretty significant details," Bobby said sharply.

Elaina shrugged her shoulders "He was either trying to hit on me or trying to make me uncomfortable. I wasn't interested in sleeping with him and he didn't make me uncomfortable so I really didn't feel the need to bring it up. I'm not upset or bothered by it," she explained.

Bobby rubbed his eyes "Did you know this?" he asked me.

Fuck.

"We were worried about Tanner's behavior so we made sure to ask a woman to go over paperwork with him," I said.

"Why Elaina?" he asked.

"Lula and Steph have tempers and we were nervous that if Tanner did say anything it would turn into a much bigger issue. We were going to have Alex do it but she got called into the wind and will be leaving at 4am tomorrow and she has it written into her contract that she has 24 hours offline before and after a mission so she can 'have quality time' with her husband" I explained.

Bobby let out a laugh and shook his head.

Steph grinned "I swear Les is going to break 'little Lester' off if he doesn't slow down."

"It's not him, it's her!" Bobby laughed.

"Especially before and after a mission she gets all fired up and basically chains him to the bed. He once called me and begged me to pick up protein bars and Gatorade because Mrs. Santos wouldn't give him more than a five minute bathroom break," I said with a grin.

"Les really did find his match. Who would have thought?" Steph said with a shake of her head.

"Well, anyways I want to review the recording tomorrow," Bobby said.

"Of course, you'll be impressed with your girl" I said giving Elaina a smile.

We finished up the wine and Steph and I headed back to seven.

I pulled my beautiful girlfriend into my arms and began kissing down her exquisite neck. She let out a contented sigh as she slipped her arms around my neck.

"Next time, give me heads up if you're going to hire a guy like Tanner" she said giving me a look.

"Yeah, you're right. I will" I agreed.

I would have agreed to just about anything considering the way she was grinding her hips to mine. I moaned and she grinned as she felt my body responding to hers. She began nibbling my ears.

"I think it's time for me to show you that I can give any cheerleader a run for their money with my flexibility and enthusiasm" she said as she pulled me by my belt into the bedroom.

Alex's POV

It was around 0300 and I was lying in bed next to my husband. I was heading out on a mission and the van was coming at 0400. I always tried to sleep as much as possible before missions but the night before it never worked. I was like a small child on Christmas Eve, antsy with anticipation.

I think I might have worn Les out but I was starting to think about one last round of passionate goodbye sex. I rolled over and I realized that his eyes were open.

He smiled at me.

"Come on Angel, I've been waiting for your ass to make a move for the past fifteen minutes. We don't have all night" he whispered.

I immediately jumped on top of my husband straddling him and kissing him passionately. I heard Les moaning as I moved my hips against his. He rolled me over roughly and began kissing down my body. I gasped when he pulled my breast into his mouth and worked magic with his fingers. I threw my head back calling out his name as I came completely undone. Les kissed back up my body capturing my mouth and whispered to me that we weren't done yet.

I fucking love being married.

Les and I continued to make love until my alarm went off and then I dragged him into the shower with me. I changed and grabbed my gear and we headed down to the garage. Les and I were still making out, with his hands traveling down to my ass as we stumbled into the garage.

"Shit! Can't you guys give it a rest?" asked Ram.

All the guys with apartments at RangeMan were waiting to see me off. It had become sort of a tradition. It was nice except for the fact that they all gave Les a hard time.

"At least your apartment isn't right next to theirs. I'm gonna finally get to sleep without earplugs now that Ace is gonna be gone," chimed in Vince.

Les smirked grabbing me to him then kissing me roughly and eagerly.

"I'm sorry that you're all jealous," he taunted as he broke our kiss.

I went around and hugged everyone goodbye. They all held me tight and wished me luck. We like to fuck around here but everyone remembers how serious missions are and we never let our last words reflect anything but love.

The black van pulled up and Talon jumped out. He's another agent with the CIA and would be joining me on this mission.

Les grabbed me again lifting me off my feet and wrapping my legs around his waist. He held me tight and kissed me till I was dizzy.

"Fuck! Are they always like this?" I heard Talon say.

We heard a chorus of "Yes!" as we kissed each other all the more furiously.

I was about to break the kiss when I felt Les grab my bottom lip with his teeth and I felt his hands start gripping my ass again.

"Oh for fuck's sake! She's like my sister. Alright, we have to go!" I heard Talon call.

Les groaned and broke our kiss. He set me down and said, "I love you, Angel. Don't have too much fun out there."

"I love you too. Rest up soldier, I should be back in about a week; make sure your properly hydrated," I whispered.

I grabbed my gear and Les smacked my ass as I walked to the van and jumped in.

Lula's POV

I was heading over to RangeMan to have lunch with Tank. I was working at the bond's office till five. I had class till nine. After that I had study group till midnight. By the time I got home Tank would be out cold in bed considering he gets up between 4:30 and 5:00am.

On days like today I always make sure to run over to RangeMan to spend at least some time with Tank. He's so good about my schedule but I tend to feel like I'm neglecting him and he takes such good care of me.

I parked my car and went up to five. I bumped into a large blonde man who I've never seen here before.

He looked me up and down and leered at me.

I used to be a hooker. I know damn well what that look means. I wasn't expecting it here though. Every man in here knew I was Tank's woman and treated me with respect.

This asshole must be new.

I brushed past the new guy and into Tank's office.

His face broke into a huge smile when he saw me.

"There's my girl!" he said as he came over kissing me hello.

"I hope you have your key fob on you," I whispered as I shut the door and locked it.

"Damn right I do!" he said as he used the key to turn off the security cameras.

I rushed into Tank's awaiting arms and his mouth crashed onto mine.

Like I said, Tank and I don't have a lot of free time now that I'm back in school so we make what little time we have count. I always make sure to wear a dress or skirt on these days. It just makes things easier.

Twenty minutes later we had made love, cleaned up and were eating the salads I had brought.

What can I say we're efficient.

"Class and study group tonight?" Tanks asked me.

I nodded.

"Tell me you'll have free time at some point this week," he sighed.

"I know it's been hard but I just got to get through finals. This will all be over in two weeks and then we can have a nice normal relationship," I said.

"You didn't answer my question," he pointed out.

"Friday night. We're going to dinner," I said.

At least I hope I would get enough work done for that to happen. I didn't want to tell him that so I guess that means I'll probably pull an all nighter tonight. Damn. I really am too old for this shit.

Seeing the smile on Tank's face makes it all worth it, though. I really won the lottery with this man. I have a past and despite Tank knowing it all he completely accepts me.

I don't plan to ever get married or have kids and Tank said he was fine with that as long as we're committed.

Tank does love kids, though. He says that he would love to be an uncle but he has no real interest in being a dad. He better hope Bobby and Elaina get knocked up soon because everyone knows that neither Ranger nor Steph want kids and Alex can't have any.

She apparently had a similar experience to mine where she was badly beaten and lost the ability to have children. I don't know the details because it was on one of those missions that no one can talk about.

Even though Alex doesn't know that I know this, I feel a bond with her about sharing a similar trauma. We are both survivors.

Tank and I finished lunch and I rushed back to the bonds office picking up coffee along the way. It was going to be a long afternoon and an even longer night.

Shit, I sure could use a doughnut.

Bobby's POV

Elaina and I have been together about nine months and it's been the best nine months of my life. I didn't think I could ever meet someone that was beautiful, intelligent, kind and completely accepting of my life style. If anything, I'm still adjusting to her's.

She has her own career, her own friends, her own money and her own life. I just feel honored that she's willing to share it with me. If I had my way, we would already be living together. We spend every night together but I wish she would give up her place and move into my fourth floor apartment permanently. It's much bigger then her one bedroom. I would also love it if she got a job here at RangeMan. I feel jealous watching Steph and Ranger, and Les and Alex interact at work.

I have to confess there's another reason. I want RangeMan to be a family business. Tank, Les and Ranger are family to me but I want more. I have been hiding a ring in the safe in my office for the last three months. I want Elaina Merritt to be my wife.

We clearly had some issues to work out in our relationship.

I was still a little annoyed at Elaina for her little "omission" game. Ranger would point out that's what I get for dating a fucking lawyer.

Elaina is just used to handling most situations herself.

She's extremely independent and while I find that sexy as hell most of the time, it can also make me want to pull out my hair. Especially in cases where it comes to men disrespecting or threatening her.

She likes to remind me that she is not my employee and is under no obligation to report every instance of male harassment to me.

As an alpha male this drives me fucking crazy. I am her boyfriend and she is the love of my life; if that doesn't accord me the privilege of defending her I don't know what does.

We were currently in my apartment on four having it out.

"I really don't feel the need to run to my boyfriend every time someone is being mean to me," she pointed out.

"This isn't about some bully picking on you! It's about one of my employees completely disrespecting you!" I countered.

"I handled it! I can take care of myself. If I thought I needed help I would have asked for it!" she said.

We were beginning to get loud. Fuck. I hated fighting with her. She was just so fucking stubborn.

"My _employee_ was sexually harassing someone who was doing contract work. How is that not my business as a partner is this company?" I shouted.

I watched as the anger started to leave her face. She let out a breath. "You're right. I should have told you," she sighed.

Now it was my turn to sigh. I gently pulled her into me hugging her to my chest. "Why didn't you?" I asked.

"I just don't want people to think that they have to respect me because of you. I want them to respect me because of who I am, not who I'm dating," she explained.

"Believe me, anyone who knows you, respects you. Every man here who really knows you, respects you. Tanner clearly doesn't know you, but when you are within these walls, my employees will treat you with respect because you are my woman. That's just the way it's going to be," I said firmly.

She looked like she wanted to argue but she finally nodded her agreement.

"Now, let's go see this recording of you and Tanner," I said kissing her forehead.

We went up to Ranger's office where he was waiting with Tank.

The four of us sat down and Ranger played the video feed. I watched as Tanner walked in the room and gave Elaina an assessing look before calling her a "sweet little thing". She wasn't fazed by it and continued to discuss all the pertinent documents.

Watching a man proposition my girlfriend made me see red. I was livid. I found my anger dissolving quickly though, when I heard Elaina's nonchalant response.

Tanner left that meeting completely flustered while Elaina looked like she just spent the last thirty minutes watching paint dry.

Ranger shut off the feed and raised his eyebrows at me.

"Like I said, I didn't have any problems," Elaina said.

"You handled that well," I begrudgingly acknowledged.

Tank just grinned at me.

"Now gentlemen, I'm going to say it again. Erik Tanner is a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen, so I really hope that you have a plan," she said getting up to leave.

"We're working on it," assured Ranger.

"I have a few ideas if you're interested" she said.

"We can handle Tanner," Tank said.

"Alright, but let me know when you change your mind. Have a nice day gentlemen," Elaina said giving me a quick kiss before heading out the door.

"Do we actually have a plan?" I asked.

Tank and Ranger both slowly shook their heads 'No'.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: Once again I own nothing you recognize. VaBabe has been a beta as well as an inspiration. Any mistakes you find are mine. I may have gotten over zealous while posting. Please leave a review! Thanks!**

Chapter 3

I had another amazing day of catching skips with Ram and then met for Lula for salads with grilled chicken. We spent the entire lunch talking about the food we would rather be eating. Fried chicken, ice cream, pizza, French fries…really anything but salad.

Lula has been kicking ass on her diet and looks amazing and she keeps telling me how great she feels. I'm struggling with the ten pounds. After I realized in horror that my Hungarian metabolism let me down and that I couldn't continue my "Ranger's away" binges I've really been trying to get back on track. I will say that my jeans aren't nearly as tight as they were a week ago. I've been "eating clean."

I swung by my old apartment to drop off my rent check. It's the my last month on my lease and I only have a few days to decide if I want to hold onto it or give it up entirely. Tonight over dinner I'm planning for Ranger and I to have "the talk." I feel like such a grown-up…guess it's about time considering I'm over thirty.

I admit that while I've had commitment issues in the past, living with Carlos the past six months has been amazing. I've lived with two other men in my life and both experiences were disastrous. I first lived with my now ex-husband, before I found him having sex with that slut Joyce Barnhardt on my dining room table. Let's just say the ink never dried on the marriage license before we signed the divorce papers.

I also lived with Joe Morelli my now ex-boyfriend. Joe is an amazing man but we aren't compatible. We tried several times and it always ended in curse words and Italian hand gestures. Joe is now married to a lovely nurse named Amber and their expecting a baby boy. I couldn't be happier for them.

I walked into my old apartment building and found my landlord "Hey Stan, I've come to drop off my check," I said.

"Check? Steph you're paid for the year and I thought that you were giving up the apartment. Is that not true?" Stan asked looking at me quizzically.

"What do you mean I'm paid up? Who paid?" I asked.

I already knew the answer but I felt myself beginning to go into rhino mode and I needed to make sure before I completely lost my shit.

"Your boyfriend. Tall handsome guy…said his name was Ranger. He said that you would be giving it up. I thought you two were living together. Did you guys break up?" he asked.

"No!" not yet. "Sorry, for the confusion…ahhh and thanks for everything," I said as I grabbed my purse and ran out the door.

I drove toward RangeMan and began chanting "I'm an adult" over and over again to remind myself not to throw something at Ranger's head when I got back to the office.

So much for us making decisions as a couple. He just decided that we were giving up my place AND he paid for my rent. I fucking work for him! He knows I have the money; I don't need a sugar daddy!

I need a boyfriend who actually communicates with me.

I parked my car in the garage and take a few deep breaths. I am going to approach him in a calm, rationale and grown up like manner.

I went up to Ranger's office on five and slammed the door behind "Ranger what the fuck!" I yelled.

Yeah Steph. Way to be an adult. The path to hell is paved with the best of intentions.

"Babe," Ranger said looking up.

"Why did you pay my rent? And did you tell my landlord that I'm giving up my apartment?" I seethed.

"Were you planning on keeping it?" he asked looking slightly hurt.

"I figured it would be something that we'd discuss!" I said.

"Babe," was the response I got.

Oh Batman, now is really not the time to "Babe" me.

"Why the fuck are you paying my rent? Do you think I can't afford it? You write my goddamn paychecks you should know that I make enough to take care of myself!" I shouted.

"Babe, it's not about the money. We're happy together here, so I wanted to do this for you. Didn't think there was much to discuss," he said calmly.

"You didn't think that I would want to discuss giving up _my_ apartment? What world do you live in! Ranger, I…I - GOD! I don't even know what to say right now!" Fuck it. "I'm going for a _run_!" I shouted as I stormed out of his office and back up to the apartment on seven to change into gym clothes.

He knows I'm heated when I decide I need to run after my mandatory morning workout. I had to burn off this energy or I may try to strangle him. Not that I could even get close, but he makes me want to sometimes.

How can he think it's normal to just pay someone's rent?

I know Ranger is wealthy. I honestly don't know how wealthy because I don't ask and I don't really want to know. All I know is I'm dating a man with money but I don't want to be treated like a kept woman.

I want an equal partner in a relationship even if he is financially better off than I am. Whatever happened to just buying flowers? I like flowers.

I was in the gym and I saw Bobby lifting weights covered in sweat with his ipod headphones in. He gave me a friendly wave.

Stupid Bobby.

I know he and Elaina argue but they just seem so much better at this communication and cohabitating shit. They make it look so easy.

Lula and Tank are the same way! They moved in together and I know he pays for everything but their relationship still feels equal. Lula NEVER talks about fighting with Tank and she tells me everything! I know when her period starts for god sakes but I never hear how Tank behaves in an argument. What the hell!

Don't even get me started on Alex and Les. I don't think they have time to fight because they're too busy going at it like rabbits. I doubt they even talk to each other besides the phrases "drop your pants", "harder" and "oh god!" Maybe that's the key to happy relationship. Lots of crazy passionate sex and no talking.

Wouldn't that just make you fuck buddies? I guess you couldn't be considered buddies if you didn't speak.

Shit.

Relationships suck.

I was on the treadmill running at a decent clip. Stupid ten pounds, maybe fighting with Ranger will actually make my jeans looser tomorrow.

Ranger's POV

I don't have a fucking clue what happened.

Everything has been going well for Steph and me. We had the occasional argument but never anything major.

Why wouldn't she want to give up her apartment? She hasn't been living there for six months without even a hint that she was planning to move back in. Is she looking to take a break from our relationship? God, after it took us so long to figure things out and finally get together.

And why does she care that I paid her rent? I don't give a shit about the money she knows this. I know she's not with me for my money, so why is this even an issue?

She was PISSED. Steph has been much better about exercising but two heavy cardio sessions in a day means I should probably wear a cup around her until things settle down.

I went back to reviewing the FTA reports. It took me over an hour to get through five. I can usually bang out twenty or thirty in that amount of time. I wasn't concentrating.

I checked RangeMan's secure email. Fuck, I would love a contract that would send me into the wind for a few days right now. No such luck.

When the hell did I start letting my personal life affect my work? I threw down the remaining FTA reports.

Shit, I hate to admit this but I have to talk to someone.

Tank has a conference call with the Miami office, so I headed down to Lester's office. He's wasn't anywhere to be found. I check the schedule and realized that Santos is currently out with Tanner. I hope he teaches that fucker some manners.

Tanner better pray to whatever deity he believes in that he doesn't run into Steph today. I can't picture her handling a "cheerleader" comment well right now. It wouldn't be pretty.

Better Tanner then me.

I checked Bobby's fourth floor office and when he wasn't there I wandered down to four. I walked into Bobby's apartment. We don't knock here unless doors are locked.

Bobby wasn't there but Elaina was sitting at the kitchen island with her laptop open and talking on her blackberry. She waved me in and then held a finger up for me to give her a moment.

"Well that sounds like a Rick problem not an Elaina problem." Pause while Rick was speaking. "Get it done" Her tone was calm and even but she spoke with her usual authority that warned others not to cross her. As she hung up, she turned and looked at me.

"What's up Carlos? Bobby's down in the gym if you're looking for him," she told me.

I winced. Definitely was not going into the gym right now considering Steph may still be plotting my murder.

Elaina was studying my face intently. She used her foot to push back a bar chair and gave me a look indicating that I was supposed to sit.

I sat.

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

"I told Steph's landlord she was giving up her apartment and then paid off all her rent. It wasn't a big deal. When she found out, she came back here and completely lost it on me. I don't even know what the fuck she's pissed about," I said running my hands through my short hair.

"You gave her landlord notice for her and paid her rent?" she asked raising her eyebrows at me.

I nodded.

"She didn't know you were doing this?" Elaina asked me.

I shook my head.

"Well that's strange," she pointed out.

"What?" I asked.

"It's weird and probably makes her uncomfortable. I take it there was no discussion about her giving up her place?" Elaina asked me.

"Well no, but-"I started.

Elaina raised her hand "It was her place. She should be the one to decide when she's ready to let it go. She's extremely independent and then you paid her rent? You're making her uncomfortable. Do you let her contribute financially for your apartment or the mortgage to your home?" she asked.

"They're both paid off," I explained.

"She wants to feel like she's taking care of herself, she already works for you not to mention you make significantly more money than she does. She doesn't want to feel beholden to anyone. She told me she had financial trouble after her divorce and she could have accepted alimony but she refused it. Stephanie clearly has a strong sense of pride. I think you're hurting it," she said.

"Shit," was all I was able to say. That was never my intention.

"Just stop with the unilateral decisions. Talk to her, let her know that she has a say and how she feels matters to you" Elaina said giving me a hard look.

"You and Bobby don't seem to fight. Bobby got lucky," I asked giving her a smile.

Elaina let out a cackle "Seriously? Bobby and I still argue over him calling me his woman. I know it's a thing with all of you but I _hate _it."

I raised my eyebrows at her "Really?"

"I'm my own woman and I don't care who I'm with I will always be my own woman not anyone else's. It makes me feel like an object. He's so amazing and never treats me as an object so I try to let it go. That doesn't mean it doesn't bother the shit out of me when I hear it. I'm trying to choose my battles" she explained.

"Elaina you are Bobby's woman. But everyone knows you're your own person" I said standing up hugging her.

"Thanks Carlos" she said, hugging me back.

"Thank you. I'm gonna wait for Steph to cool down and then we'll talk," I said as I started walking out.

"Hey Carlos?" she called after me. I turned and looked at her.

"Buy her a gift next time flowers, jewelry, lingerie…don't pay her fucking bills," she said shaking her head at me.

"Lesson learned," I said giving Elaina one more smile before heading back up to seven to try and smooth things over with my Babe.

Maybe there was time to hide all the sharp objects.

Lula's POV

Tank and I just finished our afternoon hook-up when he got a call from a client. I excused myself and cleaned up in the bathroom before deciding to wait for Tank to finish his phone call.

I headed to the breakroom to say hello to some of the other guys. Cal was sitting at the table talking to new guy.

"Hey Lula, here to see Tank?" he asked me.

"Well, I'm sure as shit not here to see your ugly face," I said as I poured myself a cup of coffee.

"Aw, come one Lula! You know you love my smile and you secretly dig my tattoo" Cal said grinning at me.

Cal does have a nice smile. He also has a flaming skull tattoo on his head. He keeps his head shaved so the skull tattoo stands out prominently on what would be his hairline.

I sighed and walked over to Cal and gave him a small kiss on his tattoo.

"I knew she liked it," Cal said grinning at the new guy.

"I could use a kiss on a different body part," the new guy said giving me a long look as his eyes traveled up and down my curves.

I was about to respond when Cal jumped in.

"What the fuck Tanner? Don't fucking talk to her like that! That's Tank's woman. He'd break your neck if he saw you even glance at her!" Cal warned giving the new guy a dangerous look.

I turned and looked New Guy square in the face before responding to his comments, "Honey, if you need it that bad I could give you some addresses for some corners on Stark where you could pay some woman to listen to your bullshit. But keep on talking to me like that and you're gonna lose that body part that you so desperately need kissed," I explained as I added milk to my coffee.

New guy glared at me.

I didn't give a shit. He don't scare me.

Just then Tank walked in grinning at me "Hey Love, I'm sorry about that," he apologized.

"I know your working Love Bug. I was just meeting your new man over here. What's your name again, Sugar?" I asked new guy.

"Erik Tanner," he replied looking at me stiffly.

"Yes, Erik and I were just discussing Stark Street," I explained.

Tank's eyebrows raised and Erik Tanner looked scared.

Good to know this asshole may not be scared of me but he's sure as hell scared of my man.

"Come on Honey, I only have a few more minutes before I have to leave," I said as I pulled Tank back to his office.

Elaina's POV

It was just after five when I realized it was going to be a late working night. I sighed when I realized Bobby and I were out of coffee.

Well I guess there are benefits to living at the same place my boyfriend works. I headed up to five where I knew there was always a fresh pot.

I walked into the breakroom and passed Cal as he was leaving.

"Hey Elaina, how's it going?" he asked me.

"Good Cal. Yourself?" I asked.

"Not bad, monitor duty tonight," he said smiling as he held up a cup of coffee.

"I don't know how you guys do it," I said returning his smile.

Cal shrugged then headed to the monitors.

I walked into the breakroom and smiled when I saw the full pot of coffee. God bless these caffeine addicts.

I realized I wasn't alone. Erik Tanner was sitting at a table.

"Mr. Tanner, how do you like working at RangeMan?" I asked casually.

He looked up and began studying me oddly, like he was assessing me.

He then got a small smile on his face.

I didn't trust that smile.

He stood up and slowly walked towards me.

"You're always so buttoned up. But I bet, once the door locks and the blinds are shut you're a completely different woman," he said as he walked closer.

I felt myself take a small step back. I hate that he was intimidating me.

I had a bad experience with a man a few months ago. He attacked me at the hospital and Les pulled him off me before anything happened, thank god. I hate to admit it but that incident still affected me.

"You don't have to be so cold to me Darling. I can make you hot. Just let me lock the door and shut the blinds," he whispered in what I can only assume was supposed to be a sexy voice.

"You come a step closer to me and I will have no problem heating you up," I warned as I held up the pot of coffee. My heart was beating so hard that I could feel it pulsating in my ears.

He looked at me with disgust. He was disgusted with me because I was afraid?

"What made you this way?" he said with a shake of his head.

He turned and walked out the door.

I let out a breath which I didn't realize I was holding. What the hell?

What did make _you_ this way? I wondered staring after him.

What happened to this guy? Was it just a byproduct of a shitty childhood?

I need to have a discussion with Steph.

I walked to her cubicle and she was still working away.

"Hey Elaina, I've been meaning to talk to you," she started.

I just raised my eyebrows for her to continue.

"It's that guy Erik Tanner. I know he's a dick but there's something more. Something just feels off about him and I can't place my finger on it. I went through his file and nothing is jumping out at me," she said.

This woman was clearly a mind reader.

"Did you perform the search?" I asked.

She shook her head "No".

Stephanie is by far the best researcher RangeMan has and her instincts are second to none.

"I feel the same way about Erik Tanner. Do you think that you would have time to run a search on him?" I asked.

"Yeah I could fit it in" she agreed.

"Good, make sure you get personal with this one. I have a feeling there might be something out there that's not going to be in a standard background check," I said.

Steph's eyes lit up and she nodded.

If there was something in Erik Tanner's past then Stephanie Plum would find it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note: I own nothing you recognize. **

**Thanks to my amazing beta VaBabe for helping me organize my chaotic thoughts and fixing my horrendous comma issues!**

Chapter 4

Steph's POV

Elaina left me thinking about Erik Tanner.

There's plenty I'm not good at: cooking, driving, math. There are also plenty of things I'm mediocre at, but I will say that I am a damn good researcher. Everyone at RangeMan knows this and they all tell me I have incredible instincts. I call it my "spidey sense" and it was definitely tingling every time I saw Erik Tanner.

I've been avoiding Ranger all day. I've calm down some but I really didn't know how to explain to him why paying my rent and giving notice on my apartment upset me. I tried when we were arguing but he just looked at me like I had three heads.

I had a few hours before I was supposed to take my grandmother to Stiva's.

There was only one person that I really wanted to talk to right now. I shut down my computer and wandered down to his office and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" his voice boomed.

I opened the door and Tank looked up at me "Little girl, what can I do for you?"

I shrugged.

"Ranger huh?" he said.

I may have good instincts but Tank is phenomenal at reading people. I never thought a military guy would be so in tune with people's emotions, but Tank always seems to know what's going on before I've ever said a word.

"Yeah, he told my landlord that I was giving up my apartment and then he paid my rent. That really bothers me, but the worst part is that he doesn't seem to have a clue why I would be mad at that. How can he not understand?" I asked taking a seat.

Tank leaned back in his chair and folded his hands "You forget that Ranger hasn't really been in a relationship before," he said.

"I mean I know he hasn't had a real one since his ex-wife," I acknowledged.

Tank snorted. "You call that a relationship? Rachel hated Ranger. He was on leave and they had a fling. She was only eighteen and I think he was her first. When she found out she was pregnant, she wasn't going to tell him. She was going to raise the baby herself in secret. Her parents intervened and contacted Ranger. Rachel was furious," Tank explained.

"But then they got married," I pointed out.

"Yeah, well that's why she hated him for so long. Rachel didn't want anything to do with Ranger. He came crawling on his hands and knees begging her to marry him. He wanted to be there for the child in the only way he could: by giving the baby his name and his military benefits. Rachel flat out refused. Ranger ended up having his family and Rachel's family staged some sort of intervention and they pressured her to finally accept. She was young, beautiful, passionate and stubborn. Rachel was angry as hell that she was being forced into marriage and she was bitter. The only way she agreed to it was if Ranger promised he would only come around the child when he was invited and that he wouldn't contest a divorce if she met someone else. It wasn't exactly a love match," Tank explained.

I can't believe I didn't know this.

Ranger's marriage to Rachel actually made mine with my ex look like a freaking fairytale.

My heart broke when I thought about the catch-22 Ranger had faced concerning his child. If he wanted Rachel and Julie to have his military benefits then he had to promise to stay away.

I couldn't exactly blame Rachel for her anger. I don't even like when my parents tell me to separate colors from whites when I do laundry, I can't imagine being told I was going to have to marry someone I didn't love. Shit, I would be bitter too.

I felt terrible for both of them.

"I've met Rachel before and I thought it seemed like Rachel and Ranger have a good relationship," I said.

"They do now. Rachel realized that it was in Julie's best interest to know her father. She also grew up a lot once the baby was born and let go of her anger. She stopped blaming Ranger and invited him into her and Julie's lives. This didn't mean that she liked being married to him. She never loved him and believed that she deserved to be with someone that she loved and loved her back. Ranger kept his word and as soon as Rachel met Ron he signed the divorce papers. They love each other now, but in the familial way," Tank explained.

I sat with this new information letting it all sink in.

I thought then crossed my mind. "Are you saying that Ranger has never been in a relationship in his adult life?" I asked.

"That is exactly what I'm saying. He was barely nineteen when Rachel had Julie. He never dated another woman while he was married and once he was divorced he assumed that his lifestyle didn't lend itself to relationships," Tank said.

"I'm Ranger's first?" I said feeling completely shocked. I'm not even sure I believe this. This can't be right.

Tank chuckled. "In some sense yes, but I think we both know that Ranger wasn't exactly a virgin when you two met. Don't think because he's new to relationships that he's new to women," Tank warned with a smile.

"I popped his relationship cherry" I said feeling my eyes widen.

Tank threw his head back and roared with laughter. "Yes little girl, that is one way to look at it. You know what you have to do when you pop someone's cherry?" he asked me with a smile.

I shook my head.

"Go easy. You gotta be gentle with them. Got it?" Tank said.

"Yeah, thanks big guy," I said grinning.

Tank stood up and walked around the desk holding his arms out. I leaped into them and the large man crushed me to his chest.

I said goodbye to him and walked by my cubicle when I noticed a small piece of dark chocolate in a bright red wrapper sitting in the middle of my desk.

It was my chocolate day. Even though we were fighting he still left me one. It was such a small gesture but somehow I just felt my heart melt.

I love this man more than anything in this world.

I grabbed my candy then headed up to seven. Ranger was working at the island on his laptop.

He raised his eyebrows as I walked in. His blank face was in place.

"Wanna talk?" he asked.

"Yeah, but not right now," I said as I walked to him.

He saw the look on my face and stood up opening his arms to me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled me against him hugging me tight and whispering Spanish in my ear.

One of these days I'm going to learn Spanish and actually be able to understand what he's saying to me.

I inhaled the scent of Bulgari and I decided right then that we were definitely not talking right now.

I started gently kissing his neck and then moved to his jaw then finally his mouth. Ranger kissed me passionately and I ran my hands up the back of his shirt and stroked his back.

Then I pulled off his shirt and watched his eyes darken with desire. My Hungarian hormones started jumping up and down reminding me how little sugar I've had the past few weeks.

I grabbed his face roughly kissing him hard and grinding my hips against his. I heard a growl escape his throat. I pulled off my own shirt and then began working on his pants while he worked on mine.

We kicked off our shoes while making out, then dropping our pants. Clothes were thrown all over the kitchen and Ranger picked me up easily, setting me on the counter. He unclasped my bra smoothly, tossing it to the side. His mouth was assaulting my skin and I felt a familiar sensation begin building.

His hand slipped into my panties and I cried out in pleasure. I frantically pulled down his boxers and begged "Please."

He kissed me hard while he entered me and I clung to him tightly. I pushed on his shoulders indicating that I wanted him on the floor. Ranger complied and I took over and finally found the release I needed. I felt him grip my hips hard and knew he was close. Within seconds, he threw his head back crying out for god.

I gently rolled off him, smiling as I settled my head against his chest.

"Was that us talking?" he asked.

"No, and we'll have a discussion later. Now I have to head over to pick up Grandma Mazur," I said as I rolled onto my stomach looking at him.

I felt his chest rumble with laughter "You're going to fuck me in the kitchen then leave me? I feel used Babe," he said with a smile.

"Sorry Batman, duty calls," I said as I got up and headed to the shower.

I turned on the water and stepped in. I was lathering up my hair when I saw the shower door open. Ranger stepped in.

"Did I ever tell you that I'm good in the shower?" he asked giving me a wolf grin.

I guess I could be a _little_ late.

XXXXXXXX

When I got back from Stiva's Ranger and I sat down to talk and he told me that he understood why I was so upset. He said he got that I should have been the one to give up my place and that we, as a couple, should have had a discussion about it.

I don't think Ranger really got the money part of it but I could tell he was trying. He admitted that he went looking for Bobby and ended up talking to Elaina who tried to explain to him why it was wrong for him to pay my rent.

He wasn't trying to be an ass and after the chocolate and the sex I was having trouble being angry at him.

I don't know why he complains that I'm so complicated.

Give me a piece of chocolate and a mind blowing orgasm and it's pretty much a "get out of jail free" card.

The next morning, Ram and I were on our way to pick up a skip by the name of Terrence Manson. Manson had a nasty rap sheet and was a high end bond. Hw was also known to be volatile and drunk.

Lester was training Tanner so Ram decided to call them for back up. They pulled up behind us about a block away from Manson's house. We all got out of the cars and began planning our strategy.

The general plan was for Les and Ram to take the leads in the front and back. Tanner would be backing Ram up in the front and I would be backing Lester up in the back.

Tanner began arguing "Hell no, Manson will most likely make a run out the back I should back up Santos and the cheerleader should just stand to the side."

How the hell does the new guy figure I'm the weak link when he's never even seen me in action? What an ass.

"She's got this and don't fucking call her that," said Ram shooting Tanner a warning look.

I couldn't help but grin at my partner.

We started to move into position and Tanner stopped me to say "I don't know what the fuck you're playing at but I'll be damned if I'm going to get shot so you can play fucking batgirl," he growled.

I chose to be a grown-up and ignored him.

After we moved into position, Lester and I heard Ram and Tanner bust through the front door. Lester was waiting right by the back door and I was slightly hidden a few yards past Lester.

"He's moving!" we heard Ram shout.

The back door flew open and Manson came flying out. Lester went to grab him and Manson slipped from his grasp.

I guess I was up.

I got out my stun gun.

Manson didn't see me and when he went past me I launched myself at him, tackling him to the ground.

Manson thrashed and I almost lost him but I was able to stun him before he got away. I cuffed his arms behind his back while he lay twitching.

Lester came running over to me, "Nice work, Beautiful! Good collar!" he smiled.

"Losers drop off and do paperwork?" I asked as Tanner and Ram exited the house and saw me on Manson with my knee in his back.

"What the fuck?" asked Tanner surveying the scene in Manson's backyard.

"Bombshell made the collar. You and I are going to the cop shop," answered Lester.

Tanner just stared at me as Lester and Ram hauled Manson to his feet to drag him to the car.

"I don't play fucking bat girl. I aim for wonder woman" I said with a smirk as I left Tanner standing there with his mouth hanging open.

Lester's POV

I was paired with Tanner today so I could train him.

Ranger and Tank showed me the recording of Tanner and Elaina. He was being a dick to her the entire time. That woman has the patience of a Saint. I know if it were my wife Tanner's arm probably would have been broken…if it were Lula he probably would have had a gunshot wound. I don't even want to think about what would have happened if it was Steph.

Tanner and I finished dropping Manson off at the cop shop and went back to Vinnie's office to collect RangeMan's fees. Connie was at the desk.

"How's it going Lester? Connie asked looking up as Tanner and I approached her desk.

"Connie this is Erik Tanner, RangeMan's newest employee," I said introducing Tanner.

"Tanner, this is Connie Rosolli. She's the one who you turn all the bond receipts in to. Trust me when I say you don't want to deal with Vinnie," I explained.

Connie held out her hand and Tanner shook it while blatantly staring at Connie's tits.

Connie Rosolli is a small woman with huge tits. She puts them out there in tight little low cut sweaters. Trust me when I say every man at RangeMan has checked out Connie's tits. The difference is we don't stare. That's just rude.

Connie folded her arms over her chest while glaring at Tanner.

Great, another woman Tanner managed to piss off. Jesus, this guy was on a fucking roll.

"Just give me the receipts and I'll get you a check," Connie said stiffly.

She left and I turned to Tanner. "What the fuck is wrong with you?" I asked trying to keep my voice down.

"What? She puts it out there; it's pretty clear what she's looking for" he said staring after her.

"No! Fuck no. We work with her, treat her with fucking respect. Don't even think about propositioning any woman who works with RangeMan" I growled.

"So I guess that means the cheerleader and the ice princess are off limits. Too bad. I bet the cheerleader is a screamer and the ice princess becomes a fucking hell cat behind closed doors. Well I saw a really hot black chick with an amazing ass at the office, she doesn't seem to work at RangeMan. She moves like she knows what she's doing, I got hard on just staring at her ass," he said with a laugh.

He was talking about Steph, Elaina and Lula. I was sure of it. These women were my friends and this asshole thought I was just going to stand there and take it?

I felt myself go blind with rage.

I spun around and punched Tanner directly in the face. He went down hard.

He's just lucky Alex wasn't included in his little run down or he would be a dead man.

Connie came running out, and looking from me and then at Tanner on the ground.

She gave me a smirk and then handed me the check. "Well, I could tell it was only a matter of time but I didn't expect it to be that fast," she said.

I picked up my cell and called Bobby. "Yeah, I may have had an incident with Tanner. He's unconscious at the bonds office. You should probably come look at him." I hung up when I heard Bobby burst out laughing.

I hope Ranger and Tank find it as amusing as he does.

Tank POV

Lula and I had a date last night. We went out to a nice steakhouse, we had an amazing meal with amazing wine and real conversation without interruptions. It was perfect. She had her job interview and has been given an offer. She was so excited and I loved watching her face light up as she discussed what she was going to be doing.

She had finished up finals and I was planning for a real celebration. I had Lula wait downstairs while I went to the bedroom and the filled the large bathtub with hot water and then lit candles.

I'm not known for being a romantic guy but Lula brings it out in me. She had been busting her ass this week and deserves to be taken care of. I know there were at least two nights where she never even made it to bed.

I walked back dow stairs and found Lula curled up on the couch snoring softly. I sighed. So much for a romantic night. I knew I could wake her and she wouldn't be mad but I couldn't bring myself to do it when I knew how tired she was.

I gently picked up my woman and carried her to our bed where I tucked her in and kissed her forehead.

I was now in the RangeMan conference room with Bobby, Ranger and Les. Lester lost his temper with Tanner and knocked him out. We were trying to decide what to do about it.

"He said some shit he shouldn't of said," Les explained.

"I think we're going to need more then that Santos," I pointed out.

"You're not going to like it," he said.

"Santos!" barked Ranger.

"He was staring at Connie's tits. So I told him to be respectful and that she was off limits because we worked with her. He then told me that what he was thinking about the other women," he started.

He was walking around it.

"Les, just rip the fucking band-aid. What the hell did he say," said Bobby.

Lester let out a deep sigh. "Steph seems like a screamer, Elaina is a hell cat behind closed doors and that Lula knows how to move and he got hard just staring at her ass" he finally said.

The room went dead silent.

I wanted to break Tanner's fucking neck.

I took a deep breath. I was supposed to be reasonable one out of this group. If I lost it no one would hold Bobby and Ranger back.

I glanced at Ranger and Bobby's faces I could tell they were having similar thoughts about breaking Tanner's neck.

I thought fast. "Let's call him to the mats, 0500 tomorrow. If he lasts through the first round we can each take one until he's down," I said.

"Do you think that's really going to teach him respect?" asked Bobby.

"It's gotta start somewhere. There have to be consequences," Ranger said.

"Santos will go first," I said.

I could tell Ranger and Bobby didn't like that but they slowly agreed.

"Meeting adjourned. Bobby, tell that prick to be ready at 0500 tomorrow," Ranger said.

We all walked out of the conference room and to no one's surprise we all ran into each other again in the gym. We each took positions by different punching bags and began working out our anger.

Elaina's POV

Bobby was off doing paperwork so I called Steph and asked her to come to my apartment so we could go over the information she found on Tanner and the general plan on how we were going to use it.

Steph's search results and instincts didn't disappoint. She gave me a decent amount of information to work with and after a few phone calls I knew we could nail Erik Tanner's ass to the wall.

After comparing all of our notes about our confrontations with Tanner we decided not to wait. This needed to be taken care of sooner rather than later before things got out of hand.

According to Steph, Lula also had some sort of run in with Tanner and would be happy to help us out.

We agreed on the plan and then said good bye before the guys got back.

I know they're supposed to take care of these things and they claimed they didn't want our help but sometimes a woman just needs to handle things.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: JE owns everything you recognize.**

**As always, a big thank you to VaBabe for all her support and encouragement. You're an amazing beta and a grammar goddess! I'm so lucky to have you!**

Chapter 5

Alex's POV

My mission was successful. I was debriefed in Washington, then allowed to crash for a few hours. I woke up and showered before a black van picked me up to take me back to Trenton. As soon as my phone was returned to me, I sent Les a text that I would be home in a few hours.

I was now pulling up to RangeMan and the anticipation of seeing my husband had me giddy with excitement.

Les was waiting for me in the garage. I jumped out of the van and took in the extremely sexy man standing before me. Les is 6'6'' with caramel colored skin, black hair and green eyes. He has the body of a Greek god and is the most breathtakingly handsome man I have ever laid eyes on.

Before we were married Les was a lothario and I was an undercover agent playing James Bond the world over. We met in Iraq eight years ago and fell in love. I had to disappear to maintain my cover and he spent the next eight years thinking about and searching for me (at least that's what he tells me).

A lot of other shit happened but the important thing is we were now together and I've never been happier.

I ran towards my husband, dropping my gear on the way and leaped into his arms, wrapping my legs tightly around his slim waist. He crushed his mouth to mine, pushing his tongue past my lips.

_Oh god. _

I moaned and began moving my body against his. I just saw him and I'm already half way there. This happens every time I come back. I think it must be the adrenaline.

I ran my hand down to his pants and felt him. Oh, he was so ready.

"Fuck, Angel!" he growled in my ear when I squeezed him.

"Yes, now!" I demanded as I gently bit his lower lip.

Les reached down and grabbed my bag while supporting my ass. I wasn't climbing off him for anything!

We rode the elevator and I began sucking on his neck, marking him.

We crashed into the apartment and each quickly stripped down to our underwear. He picked me up again and threw me on the bed. Les crashed on top of me supporting himself with his arms, his green eyes blazing down at me.

"Tell me," he ordered, his voice husky.

"More James Bond then Rambo. I had to steal a flash drive. I seduced a guard, got his key, got the drive then got out," I breathed.

"What did he do to you?" he growled as he slid a hand slowly down my stomach and into my panties. His fingers began torturing me.

"Oh god!" I cried out throwing my head back. "Not this. Just kissed and got him to the stairwell where I injected him with a paralytic," I said as my hands gripped the sheets.

Les and I have a rule that I tell him everything I can that happens on missions. I can't tell him where I was or what was on the drive but I always tell him the truth. I won't take a job that requires me to sleep with anyone. Unfortunately Les and I know that the type of work that I do may lead to that and we agreed that it would never happen unless it was a life or death situation.

I'm more comfortable putting a bullet in someone's head or threatening them with violence then I am sleeping with them to get information. I am a married woman for god's sake.

Apparently Les was okay with the mission because he rewarded me by replacing his fingers with his tongue. I gripped his hair and screamed his name as he finished me for what I knew would not be the only time tonight.

We heard a bang on the bedroom wall.

I guess we woke Vince up.

Les picked up his phone, made a call and waited for someone to pick up. "Yeah dude, my wife's back so put in the fucking ear plugs. Its gonna be a long night," he said as he flashed me a grin.

He hung up the phone and then crashed on top of me kissing me passionately as he eased my legs apart and then entered me in a quick motion. I cried out and arched my back.

"Shit, Angel, you feel so good," he mumbled as he continued to kiss me. I wrapped my legs tightly around him as he took control.

Les started telling me in Spanish how much he missed being inside me, how good I felt and how much he loves me. This was enough to send me over the edge again. This time I cried out for god and dug my nails in his back. He called out my name as he thrust in me hard.

We rolled over breathing heavily and I looked up at his handsome face. He looked guilty about something.

"What is it?" I asked.

"We gotta be at the mats at 0500," he said.

"No! Absolutely not! We should both be offline!" I argued.

"It's a favor. We gotta go," Les said touching my face gently.

"Well then I hope you're not planning on sleeping because it's past midnight and I'm not even close to being finished with you," I said giving him a wicked grin.

"I'm yours tonight Angel, do with me what you will," he breathed, his green eyes blazing.

I climbed on top and we began again and this time I got to take the lead.

_I really hope Vince has his ear plugs in because I'm not planning on going quietly. _

Erik's POV

My jaw fucking hurts. It's early as shit and I'm down at the mats waiting for Santos to come down and beat the shit out of me.

All the guys are already here. Tank is standing next to a chair which has been set up for some reason. No one is sitting in it. He's also holding a vitamin water and a protein bar. Bobby and Ranger were there, arms folded, glaring at the gym doors, also waiting for Santos.

What the fuck is going on?

The door opened and the cheerleader, ice princess and the professional walked in. _Fuck they're all hot_. Cheerleader and the professional were in gym clothes but ice princess was wearing gray pants, a blue button down and a fitted grey vest. She was ready for work at 0500? I know she's an attorney or something but there's no way her work day starts this early. Something was definitely going on.

"Where the fuck is Santos?" I asked Vince.

He shrugged "Don't know. Ace got back last night," he said.

I didn't know what one has to do with the other, but I was looking forward to meeting Ace. All the guys talked about him and he sounds like a crazy motherfucking badass if half the stories they tell me are true. He must be, if he's getting the amount of government contracts that they all claim he's getting.

Finally the gym door opened and Santos stumbled in with a brunette hottie wrapped around his waist. He was sucking on her neck and her head was thrown back. He stopped when he realized everyone was staring at them. He whispered something in her ear and the woman slowly dislodged herself from him.

_Did the guy actually bring a hook-up to a meeting on the mats? After we're done Ranger is going to beat the shit out of him._

As they walked closer I got a better look at both of them. I took a good look at Santos's "date." She was a stunning woman with dark hair, pale skin, and bright eyes. She had probably the best body I've ever seen. She was completely toned without being bulky with muscle. Her body was fucking streamlined; she must work out an insane amount. She had perky breasts that her black RangeMan fitted tank top was showing off and her shorts showed me that she had an incredible ass that I would love to get my hands on.

_Maybe after Santos was done playing with her I could get a turn. She looks acrobatic. That could be fun._

I glanced at Santos and was taken aback by his appearance. He looked like shit. He was slightly paler with dark circles and I think his legs were shaking a little bit from exhaustion. He looked like he just ran a marathon in a hundred degree heat. I can't fight this dude right now! He looks like he's going to collapse.

_Lester looks like hell but his date looks like she just got back from the spa. What the hell are they doing?_

To my surprise, Tank gestured for Santos to sit in the chair and then handed him the vitamin water and protein bar. Santos just grinned up at him.

Tank shook his head but looked like he was trying to suppress a smile.

"What the fuck? I thought this was going to be between me and Santos?" I asked looking around.

"It is. It's just a different Santos," said Tank and he nodded toward the acrobat.

She stepped on to the mat and held out her hand "Alexis Santos, I'm Lester's wife. I prefer Alex but a lot of the guys call me Ace," she said giving me a smile.

_WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON? LESTER'S WIFE IS ACE?_

I shook her hand then turned to Ranger, "You expect me to fight Lester's wife? I'm not going to hit a woman," I protested.

I'll admit that I only see women as something that I can stick my dick in, but that doesn't mean I'm okay with hitting them.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Alex said giving me a reassuring smile.

I watched as she slid the band off her ring finger and handed it to her husband as she dropped a kiss on his head.

"Alex, we can't afford for Tanner here to be laid up for months," Ranger said, warning her.

"I can control myself," she said planting her hands on her hips.

"Tell that to your husband who looks like he needs me to hook him up to an IV," said Bobby with a laugh.

She just smirked at Bobby.

She turned and looked at me. "Come at me hard and don't worry about hurting me," she said calmly.

_This has to be a joke, I can't do this! _I looked around but no one seemed to be joking.

I sighed and threw an easy punch. The next thing I knew, I was on my back staring up at Ace while she looked down at me.

"I know you can do better than that. Please don't insult me," she said as she helped me back up.

As I regained my footing, I struggled to catch my breathe. I don't think I could have responded, even if I'd wanted to.

I went harder and once again was on my back. She helped me back up and we went over and over again. Within five minutes I was throwing everything I had at this woman and she was blocking and dodging easily and then knocking me on my ass.

Thirty minutes later, I'd made no progress with her. I was positive I was going to be covered in bruises tomorrow and I hadn't landed one fucking strike. I kept waiting for Ranger to call it but he just kept shouting, "Again!" I was covered in sweat and Ace was bouncing around the mat like it was a prep school gym class.

It was over an hour later and Ace just took me down with a move where she landed on top of me.

"Hey, I think we're going to be paired up! That's going to be fun!" she said grinning at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

I would normally love to have a woman like this on top of me but I was so badly beaten I hurt all over. The worst part was I could tell she was going easy. She never once went after my face or testicles. I could barely move after the last hit. She rolled off me and sprung to her feet easily.

I tried to get up and couldn't quite do it. "Time!" shouted Ranger.

Vince and Ram came over and hauled me to my feet.

"Ace, thank you for coming down. You and Les are offline till tomorrow. Tanner looks like he needs a day to recover anyway," Ranger said.

Ace bounced over to her husband who grinned at her as she pulled him to his feet.

"Alex, I will be coming by at noon to make sure your letting him rest and drink lots of fluid. Don't make me separate you two!" Bobby warned.

"I'll be good!" she promised.

"Trust me man, she's always good," Les said with a leer as he threw his wife over his shoulder and walked to the elevators.

_I don't have a clue what the fuck I just witnessed. _

"Bobby, check out Tanner," ordered Tank.

I glanced over at Bobby who was talking softly to the ice princess. I noticed the way he was looking at her. _Fuck. He's clearly in love with her. He probably knows about my meeting with her_.

Vince and Ram helped me into the medic office where Bobby assessed me.

"Nothing seems to be broken or sprained," he said.

"Your fucking lucky she went easy on you. I've seen her in the field," Vince added.

I groaned as I stood up.

"I need a moment," Bobby said looking at Ram and Vince. They both nodded and left.

Bobby turned and looked at me "You ever disrespect my woman in any way, you even look at her fucking wrong and you will be meeting me on the mats. I can promise you that I will have no problem breaking your fucking jaw," he said dangerously.

I met his eyes and I could tell that he meant every word he said.

I gave him a nod.

"You're wanted upstairs," he said.

I headed up to five, suppressing groans with every step. _How can I feel this bad and nothing be broken?_

I got off the elevator and froze when I saw my cubicle.

My entire desk was COVERED in tampons, maxipads, pregnancy tests, feminine deodorant spray, feminine wipes, yeast infection creams and a shit load of other stuff that I couldn't even identify.

I felt my face flush. I don't want to even touch this stuff.

Yeah I get it. The women are making their fucking point.

Just like that the professional walked by and scoped out my desk before selecting a tampon. She gave me a small wave "Heard they wanted you in the conference room," she said as she walked past me.

_Fuck. Could this day get any worse? I glanced at my watch. It's not even 0700._

Ranger's POV

Steph, Elaina and Lula asked if they could have a conference with Tanner. I agreed to it but only if Bobby, Tank and I were present. We were all gathered around the table waiting for Bobby and Tanner. Bobby walked in and took a seat without saying a word.

Tanner walked in a moment later and looked around at all of us.

Elaina stood up. "Mr. Tanner please have a seat," she said gesturing to a chair.

Steph told me that Elaina was going to do all the talking. What she didn't tell me was what Elaina was going to say. She just asked me to trust her. What the fuck am I supposed to say to that?

Elaina had on her cold lawyer face. I wasn't sure how I felt about all this.

Tanner slowly sat eyeing her suspiciously.

"Mr. Tanner it's become clear to all of us that you don't like women; you seem to hold the belief that we're only good for one thing. I think it's interesting because you used to be married to a Ms. Melanie Everson, so apparently at one point you didn't feel that way," she began tossing a file in front of Tanner.

"This made me curious, what could have happened that made you change your mind? Well, we did a little digging. It looks like you were married for about a year before you were deployed. Once in Afghanistan your wife took up with a Mr. Derek Upton," she said.

"How the fuck did you find out about this?" Tanner growled at Elaina.

"Oh I'm sorry! Didn't you meet Ms. Stephanie Plum? She's RangeMan's best researcher and it took her only a few days to dig up your past," Elaina said easily.

Tanner turned and glared at Steph. _He better watch it or he'll have me to deal with._

"Ah, it seems that you did meet. Anyway, here's where the story gets interesting. Your wife was three months pregnant when you were deployed. So, while you were away she cheats on you, leaves you, files for divorce and then claims that the child is not yours," Elaina continued.

_Holy fuck. _

This is too far. I was about to say something when Steph grabbed my hand her eyes pleading with me to stay quiet. I swallowed hard.

Tanner was staring down at the table, face red with rage.

"Your wife divorced you, leaving you with an extreme amount of credit card debt and took the child, giving it Mr. Upton's name. You tried to file for a paternity test but Mr. Upon is wealthy and you were penniless. You didn't have a chance without an attorney, which you couldn't afford," she said.

"What's your fucking point?" Tanner asked dangerously.

"My point is that I'm not your ex-wife. Neither are any of these other women. Stop punishing the rest of the female population for what she did to you," Elaina said coldly.

"Fuck you," Tanner spat.

Bobby went to move and Elaina held up her hand for him to back off. _This is going too far._ I glanced at Steph and she was again pleading with me with her eyes.

_FUCK._

"Is the child yours?" Elaina asked in a softer tone.

"Yes," Tanner replied quietly.

"Well, Mr. Tanner, then we have work to do. I've already prepared the documents for the judge to sign which will subpoena your ex-wife for a paternity test. We have an appointment with Glenn Shover at 9:00am. Shover is the best family law attorney in the state and he owes me a favor. He's willing to take your case pro bono. Lula's boss is a social worker who will also be working on your case," Elaina said sitting down to retrieve the documents.

"You need to decide if you want to be in the child's life. You may be required to pay back child support; are you okay with that?" she asked softly.

"Yes, I tried to pay it. I have it all in a separate account for Cody," Tanner said swallowing hard his eyes brimming with tears.

"Cody is your son's name?" Elaina asked gently touching his hand.

Tanner nodded. "I want to be in his life more than anything," he said quietly.

"Then you need to shower and change. Think khakis and a button down, tuck it in, light cologne. Be ready in an hour. We have to take Shover to breakfast at the Palm," Elaina said simply.

Tanner looked at her quizzically.

Elaina rolled her eyes, "He's doing this pro bono but he's a lawyer not a saint. Keep that in mind," Elaina said.

Tanner nodded "What can I ever do to repay you?" he whispered earnestly.

"We discussed that," Elaina said as she looked at Steph and Lula "and we want you to keep feminine products in the bottom drawer of your desk for a year. Just in case we need a tampon or something," Elaina said with a smile.

Tanner actually let out a laugh. "Holy shit! Of course, yes anything. Thank you," he said.

"Get ready," Elaina repeated.

Tanner got up gingerly and walked out of the room.

"Holy shit!" Bobby said. "I don't know what the fuck I just saw," he said staring around the room at Steph, Elaina and Lula.

"Steph was the one who found all the information. Lula got her boss involved and also came up with the feminine hygiene punishment. I just handled the legal parts. Once I read his file I knew we could help him," Elaina explained.

I took a good look at the women around this table. I don't think there are words for how impressed I am with all of them.

_Why the fuck didn't we ask them their advice earlier?_


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: JE own everything you recognize. I'm just playing with her toys and will carefully return them when done.**

**My beta, VaBabe, edited two chapters in one night so a GIANT thank you to her! She takes my convoluted thoughts and gives them direction! Not to mention adds some much needed commas! **

Chapter 6

Erik's POV

I was in the car with the ice princess, I mean Elaina Merritt, on the way back to RangeMan after a meeting with Glenn Shover.

Elaina was going to drop me off at RangeMan and then run by the courthouse to file my paperwork so we could subpoena my bitch of an ex to do the DNA test. There's a chance I could get my son back. I have dreamed of this day for the past three years. I began to think that it would never be possible.

Who knew that the damaged ice princess would become my guardian angel? I barely said anything during the meeting. Shover and Elaina seemed to circle each other like two predatory cats. They verbally sparred, negotiated and traded favors. By the time they were done Glenn Shover was my attorney.

Elaina and I each shook his hand and he told me he would be in contact once the subpoena was served.

We were in the car heading back to RaneMan and I felt like I should apologize. I didn't realize she was with Brown when I propositioned her. I was attracted to how uptight she seemed. It was my experience that those women were the most wild between the sheets. I figured if she was looking for a little release I could easily provide it.

"Listen," I started. "I didn't realize you were Brown's woman. I would have never come on to you if I knew you were with the boss," I explained.

She rolled her eyes "That was a come on? Seriously, you think women go for that?" she asked.

"Not all, but I got a good track record. I thought you looked fun, but you clearly got some fucked up issues," I pointed out.

"_I _have issues? You really need to talk to somebody about your women issues. I don't want to even think about you passing on this mentality to your son," she said giving me a hard look.

"How the fuck am I supposed to afford a therapist? I'm still working on paying off that cunt's credit card debt," I argued.

She rolled her eyes again. "You definitely don't listen. Therapy is 100% covered by RangeMan's insurance policy. I explained that to you during our first meeting," she said.

"Well, I was too busy thinking about fucking you on the desk," I explained.

She groaned. "Alright. If I'm going to continue to help you, you cannot continue to speak this way. I understand that's going to take some time to break you of this disgusting habit but I'm going to make therapy part of our deal," she said.

"I will, if you will," I answered.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she snapped.

"Please. When I approached you in the break room, you freaked the fuck out. I was hitting on you and you thought I was going to attack you. Something happened to you. You know all my secrets, how about sharing yours?" I suggested.

"Fuck off," she answered.

"It wasn't Brown, was it? Shit! I can't work for a fucking rapist!" I said. _Fuck! I hope Shover will still take my case if I have to quit RangeMan_.

"No!" she shouted in a panicked voice.

"Bobby has never hurt me and would never." She took a breath, "It was someone I used to work with. It happened months ago. I was alone in a room when he came in. He pushed me against the wall and tried to…well, you know. Les found us and ripped him off me before anything happened," she explained.

"Were you with Brown at the time?" I asked.

She nodded.

"So that guy's dead huh?" I said.

"No, I got him transferred," she said calmly.

"Fuck! Brown doesn't even know what happened to you?" I asked.

_If he didn't know, I certainly didn't want to know this shit. He would break my fucking legs if he found out that I knew that someone attacked his woman and didn't tell him._

"He knows. I just took care of it before telling him. I can take care of myself," she said stiffly.

How that guy was alive is a fucking mystery. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if he was dead and Elaina just didn't know about it. I'm definitely not going to bring that up.

"Well you still obviously have some issues about it. Maybe you should take your own advice and talk to someone," I pointed out.

"I will if you will," she countered.

"Fine," I challenged. I held out my hand and she looked at me dubiously but shook on it.

_Guess I'm going to fucking therapy._

Ranger's POV

After the meeting with Tanner, Bobby and I went on a long run. We were both still in shock of what went down. Steph really is wonder woman. How the fuck she found out all that stuff on Tanner is beyond me. I think she might deserve a raise.

Bobby and I finished our run and I showered then headed to my office. I was pleasantly surprised to see Stephanie sitting in my chair with her feet up on the desk. She was smiling at me with mischief in her eyes. I didn't know whether to be excited or nervous.

"Babe," I said,

"Hello, Carlos. I see that you forgot the little bet we made last night," she said as her smile widened.

_Shit. _

Last night, when Steph asked to have a meeting with Tanner she also bet me that the women would take care of Tanner before the men did.

This is bullshit though. When she brought up the bet her breast was in my mouth and my hands were in her little red satin panties. All my blood was pooled in one area and it wasn't my brain.

We may have to establish some rules about making bets or asking for things during foreplay…or during sex. Or if she's naked…or if she's in lingerie or a bathing suit…or in one of those sexy backless dresses.

_Shit. _

I leaned against the door frame and folded arms.

"You're not gonna welch are you?" she asked smirking at me.

"Babe, have I ever?" I asked.

That got a happy squeal. She sprung up off my chair and ran to me jumping into my arms and kissing my face.

"You're making me nervous," I said laughing.

"Just be ready at noon," she said giving me a quick kiss.

Steph bounced out of my office to meet up with Ram.

It was going to be a full office day for me. I prefer to be in the field but Tank likes to remind me that this is the price for having your own business.

I got through the newest FTA reports, the budgets and signed off on the supply lists. I looked up at the clock and realized that it was noon. Steph should be back any minute.

_I hope it's not the mall. I fucking hate the mall._

_Fuck! I bet I'm going to have to take her grandmother to the hair dresser. I did it once before and barely survived_. Grandma Mazur is a spit fire but she does not keep her hands to herself. She groped me and then told me she just wanted to see what her granddaughter was "working with." I still have nightmares.

Steph poked her head in my office "Ready Batman?"

I suppressed a sigh and nodded.

"Don't look so nervous! You might even like it," she said with a grin.

I grabbed my car keys and followed Steph to the garage. She directed me to a strip mall and we parked. I had no idea where we were going. I saw a pet store and panicked. She's not going to make me buy her a puppy is she?

To my relief she led me right past the pet store. She stopped at the next store and opened the door to a nail salon. _I just have to sit here and watch her get her nails painted? That's not so bad._

"Hi Emmy, I made an appointment for two," Steph said to the woman behind the counter.

_Two? _

I scanned the room quickly for her grandmother and breathed a sigh of relief when I didn't spot her.

"Right this way," said Emmy.

I started walking toward the little waiting area when Steph grabbed my hand and had me follow her. Steph stopped at rows of nail polish and selected two colors. She continued on to a set of chairs with basins attached to them.

She sat in one and gestured to the empty one next to her.

"You've got to be kidding me," I said looking at the chair.

"Batman, I never joke about pedicures," she said giving me her serious face.

_I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm a goddamn mercenary. I'm a scary motherfucker. Scary motherfuckers do NOT get pedicures._

I stood there for a moment just staring at the stupid chair.

"Come on Batman, a bets a bet," Steph said.

I let out a breath and climbed into the chair. A woman came over and turned on the water and added some sort of bath salt or something to it. She gestured for me to put my feet into the water.

I removed my shoes and socks, rolled up my pant legs and placed my feet into the warm water. Jets were streaming water onto the bottoms of my feet. This was kind of nice. Not that I'm going to admit it.

Steph leaned over and picked up a remote attached to the chair and hit a series of buttons. Next thing I know the chair is kneading my back.

A moan escaped me. Shit.

I looked at Steph who was grinning at me.

The woman came back over and picked up my feet and began…sanding them? I don't know what she was doing but when she started I jerked my foot back.

Steph was staring at me with wide eyes. "Batman are you…ticklish?" she asked in astonishment.

_FUCK._

_Okay, so I have ticklish feet._

The little woman at my feet looked up at me and grinned.

"My feet are slightly sensitive," I admitted slowly.

"Well, wonders never cease," Steph said as she picked up a magazine. She was doing a piss poor job of suppressing a grin.

The tiny woman sanded, lotioned and rubbed my feet. She clipped my toe nails and then put this weird stuff on them. Thank god Steph didn't make me polish them. I can't even imagine the shit I would get.

I have to admit my feet felt really soft. It was strange.

After we were done, Steph led me to the little desks where another woman was waiting to take care of my hands.

She cut my nails and then used this weird metal thing to scrape at my fingernails. I have no idea what the purpose of that was but then she squeezed lotion on my hand and began massaging my hands. I stifled a moan.

_Holy hell this feels amazing! _

I waited for Steph to finish up and I have to admit that I was feeling pretty relaxed. Steph came over once she was done and I grabbed my wallet to pay.

"No way, this one is on me," she said removing her bank card from her purse.

We got back in my car and Steph was just sitting there staring at me and grinning.

"What?" I asked.

"You liked it," she said.

"No, I lost a bet so I paid up," I said simply.

"Yeah, okay," she replied with an eye roll.

"Babe, I love you. But if you tell _anyone_ that I got a fucking pedicure today, you will wake up in Siberia," I warned.

She laughed "I knew you liked it!"

_Shit._

Bobby's POV

I was in the apartment on four waiting for Elaina to get home from work. I had finished up for the day and was removing weapons and loading them into the safe in the bedroom wall when I heard the apartment door open and close.

I grinned. I had plans for tonight.

I was so impressed with my woman today. She was fucking incredible. The way she broke Tanner down then built him back up in a matter of minutes, she proved over and over again that she didn't need a gun to scare the shit out of people or get what she wants.

I walked out of the bedroom and down the hall to the living room. Elaina was standing at the island reading something on her blackberry, her back facing me.

I walked up behind her and slipped my arms around her waist and began gently kissing her neck. She sighed and leaned back into me, placing her phone on the counter.

I unclasped her pants, slipped my hand down, into her underwear and began pleasuring her. She moaned and placed her hands on the counter to keep from collapsing.

I grinned. I loved causing her to lose control.

I slipped my hand out of her underwear, then unzipped her pants and pushed them to the floor. She kicked off her shoes and stepped out of her pants while I unbuttoned her shirt and began kissing her chest. She slipped her arms around my shoulder and I picked her up, walking her to the bedroom.

I laid her down gently on the bed and then removed my shirt. She sat up on her knees as she unbuckled my belt and pulled my pants down. I stepped out of my shoes and threw my pants to the floor.

I then took her beautiful face in my hands and kissed her passionately. She opened her mouth for me and I slipped my tongue in.

We made love slowly and passionately.

Afterward, she was lying on my chest as I absently played with her hair, when I happened to glance over at the clock.

"Shit. Baby we got to get up and get packed," I said.

She picked her head up and looked at my quizzically, "What do you mean packed?"

I kissed her forehead.

"I have a surprise for you. You and I are going to Napa Valley for five days. Our flight leaves at 11:00pm," I said with a smile.

"What? Bobby, are you serious?" she asked sitting up quickly looking at me.

"Yes, I already talked to your office, we're all set," I said smiling at her.

"I've always wanted to go to Napa," she said quietly studying my face.

"I know, you mentioned it on our second date," I said as I brushed the hair from her eyes.

"Are you serious? You remember me mentioning one time about Napa so you planned a trip?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, and we really should get up so we can take our time getting to the airport," I said.

"Bobby!" she exclaimed, tackling me back to the bed.

She crashed her mouth onto mine and slipped her tongue between my lips. _Oh god, she feels good._

She straddled me and then we began again. Fuck it, we can still get there in time.

Lula's POV

I was going to cook dinner for Tank tonight. I wanted to impress my man so I went to this organic specialty store to pick up all the ingredients for jambalaya. Its Tank's favorite.

I wanted to make it really spicy, so I found some pepper that the guy told me you had to wear gloves to handle to add to it. Tank loves his food real spicy.

I worked for two and half hours when Tank got home. He walked into the kitchen and his handsome face broke into a grin.

"Do I see what I think I see?" he asked.

"Mmmhmm. Your woman is making you dinner. Now why don't you be a good man and pick out a bottle of wine," I said with a smile.

Tank loves his wine. He actually has a wine cellar. I like my beer but he's gotten me to drink wine and I think I have a better appreciation for it now.

Out of all the guys I think Tank is the one who actually considers himself a "drinker." Not that he drinks much, but he likes a glass of wine with dinner or a nice scotch after a long day. After all my addictions I'm pretty careful with my alcohol intake. I was never a boozer but I still like to keep myself in check.

My girl Steph can't hold her liquor for shit. Two drinks in and she's swaying and talking out loud to herself. That girl has some seriously dirty thoughts about her man, too.

Alex, lives the hardcore RangeMan lifestyle. She doesn't eat sweets or refined sugar and she barely lets alcohol past her lips, but when she does she's also a light weight. Lester let it slip that if she has three small glasses of wine then she spends the morning "praying to the porcelain god."

Elaina is a drinker. It's always funny to me because the woman is so freaking small. She's just over five feet and looks like a small child next to a lot of these guys, including her own boyfriend. If she's not working, she's rarely seen without a glass of wine or a cocktail in her hand. On night, when we all went out, Alex, Steph and I were slurring our sentences after just a few drinks, while Elaina looked like she was still able to complete a Rubik's Cube.

I remember asking her about it the next day and her response was that she was a lawyer and that being able to drink is part of the job. She said lawyers needed to be able discuss the finer points of law while three martinis deep. I can see that but I think its the part of the job she thoroughly enjoys.

Tank told me Bobby is taking a few days off to take her to Napa Valley. If Bobby's not careful Elaina's gonna hook up with a wine maker and she'll never come back.

I finished what I hope was the spiciest, best jambalaya that my man has ever had. I was feeling really proud of myself while I set a nice steaming bowl in front of my man.

He smiled at me and I melted a little bit.

Tank dug in as I beamed with pride. I cooked for my man. I felt like a freaking domestic goddess.

Tank took a hearty bite. I was thrilled. He then ate some more.

All of a sudden he started coughing, like he was chocking.

"Tank?" I asked nervously.

His face was red. He was gulping down his wine. "What the hell is in this?" he asked gasping while he started swigging wine straight from the bottle.

"I just added a few peppers!" I exclaimed. "You like spicy food!" I added.

Tank was literally chugging the bottle of wine at this point.

"What kind of fucking peppers!" he asked, sweat pouring off his face.

"I asked for the hottest they had! I think he called them ghost chilies!" I said panicking as I ran to get him water.

"No water!" he boomed.

He continued to chug wine straight from the bottle.

"Did you say ghost chilies? Fucking ghost chilies!" he exclaimed.

I dashed into the wine cellar and grabbed another bottle. I opened it quickly handing it to him.

"I just wanted a spicy pepper!" I explained.

"A jalapeno is like 8,000 on the Scoville scale and fucking ghost chili is 2 million!" he shouted.

"Scoville scale?" I asked.

"Lula, I love you. But now you're going to have to go to the drug store and get me Malox. Like a fucking case of liquid Malox… NOW," he said.

I got up quickly and ran for my car keys and purse.

So much for a romantic night.

Lester's POV

_I don't think I can feel my legs. _

Goddamn, my wife is a fucking freak. I fucking love her. I actually had to call a time out today so I could recover. Then I made us take separate showers. She wasn't pleased but she agreed once I promised that I would gladly make it up to her once I had time to rest.

We ate, showered and were in bed sleeping for awhile when I woke up to Alex moaning. I rolled over and froze.

Holy fuck she was touching herself!

Her chest was heaving as she continued to torment herself with her fingers. She tilted her head to me, her eyes locking on mine. She didn't stop. This may be the most erotic thing I've ever witnessed.

I know I told her I was tired but my body was feeling fully recovered. I wanted to be the one causing her chest to heave and her eyes to roll back. I felt weirdly jealous of …her.

I felt a growl escape my throat as I launched myself on top of her. I kissed her hard on the mouth and she moaned. I kissed down her perfect stomach and buried my face in between her thighs, causing her to cry out.

_Yes! This is the way it should be._ She gasped and gripped my hair as I took her over the edge with my tongue and fingers. She cried out my name and it was music to my ears.

I kissed back up her body and captured her lips with mine. She pushed her tongue into my mouth and I moaned with pleasure.

"Are you sure you're up to it? I want you to rest if you need to," she asked innocently.

"You knew that I would never be able to resist that little show you put on," I said as I smiled at my wife.

"I was just trying to show you that I could handle myself if you needed some more time," she said smiling back at me. She wrapped her legs around my waist and began rubbing her body against mine.

She was baiting me. I didn't give a shit.

I kissed her again and entered her as she cried out. Her legs tightened around me as she arched her back.

I'm not going to be able to run down skips tomorrow, but I know how to use a gun. I can always just shoot them in the leg.

Right now, it's completely worth it. Fuck, I love my wife.


	7. Chapter 7

**As always, I own nothing you recognize. It's JE's world I'm just playing with her toys.**

**Thanks again to VaBabe for being an amazing Beta! You guys don't realize how lucky you are for her to read my chapters first then help my clear through my cluttered sentences! **

Chapter 7

Elaina's POV

Bobby and I just spent an amazing five days in Napa Valley. We toured vineyards, tasted wine, ate great food, went on long romantic runs and hikes and had crazy passionate vacation sex. I was a happy woman and trust me when I say I know how lucky I am.

It was our last night and Bobby made reservations at a cute restaurant at one of the vineyards near our hotel. He told me we were going to a private chef's table and we were led to a secluded garden patio. It was incredibly romantic and overlooked the whole vineyard.

The sun was just beginning to set as we began dinner. It was a beautiful few days and I was sad to leave. After dinner Bobby took me for a walk through the gardens, which were beautifully lit up with white Christmas lights.

Bobby was casually playing with my hand as we walked and then I felt something. I looked down and realized he had slipped a ring on my finger.

I gasped, looking up at him.

His hazel eyes locked onto mine as he slowly dropped to one knee.

I felt my eyes well up with tears.

"Elaina Merrit, I've loved you from the moment I first saw you sitting in the waiting room of that hospital. You are the most beautiful, intelligent, caring and loving woman I have ever met. I know it may seem fast, but I know what I want and I know I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you marry me?" he asked with tears glistening in his eyes.

I felt the tears running down my face. "Yes," I breathed.

His face broke into the most dazzling smile I've ever seen as he sprung to his feet and captured me in his arms. My feet were completely off the ground as he held me, twirling me around.

Eventually, he gently put me down and kissed me passionately.

_I'm engaged! We're really getting married! _

I couldn't believe this is happening to me. I love this man more than anything in the world and now he wants to be my husband. The tears kept falling down my face.

"Baby!" Bobby said with a laugh. "Are you okay?" he asked while brushing the tears from my face.

"Yes, I just didn't expect this!" I said as I tried to compose myself.

"Have you even looked at the ring your wearing?" he asked smiling down at me.

I slowly picked up my left hand and stared at the ring. It was platinum with a large round diamond framed by two baguettes. It looked like an antique.

"Is it you family's?" I asked.

"No, but it's from the 1920s. I wanted to get you something classic. If you don't love it, we can get you whatever you want," he said nervously.

"Bobby, I love it! I never even knew I had an opinion on this kind of thing but it's perfect. I love you so much." I said pulling his face to mine so I could kiss him again.

He pulled me close to him and gripped the back of my dress as he continued kissing me. I was dizzy with passion and desperately wanted to be some place more private.

"Come on. I'm ready to go back to the hotel and celebrate," I whispered.

"Yes ma'am," he responded as he kissed me softly then took my hand as we left to spend our first night together as an engaged couple.

Vince's POV

I love working at RangeMan. I've been here since the beginning and coming to work here was the best decision I've ever made. I'm a former SEAL, as is my partner, Ram. We're also both snipers. Ram right now is working with Steph (lucky bastard). So I've been paired with Cal.

I honestly haven't had a bad experience working with anyone here. We're all a close family and the partners make it a point to switch up the rotations every now and then so we all remain close and comfortable with each other.

Of course, everyone wants to be paired with Stephanie. First off, she's sexy as hell. And hilarious without actually trying to be. She also always gets into trouble which means your day is NEVER boring.

Alex, however, is a slightly different story. Yeah she's hot as fuck; her body is the stuff dreams are made of. But originally she made the guys, including myself, slightly uncomfortable. For one she's a former spy. Not all the guys have the clearance to know this, but most of them see her skills and can put it together. I guess it's the RangeMan version of don't ask, don't tell, only we're cool with homosexuality…just not the CIA.

There's been a battle between the military and the agency, especially Special Forces, probably since the CIA was created. We have to work together on some pretty intense missions and there is always a power struggle between the two. That doesn't mean we don't work well together, we do. Some of the best operations have been pulled off by a joint coalition.

But we don't exactly trust the agency or their agenda. They tend to keep secrets. Deep cover agents (spies), which is what Alex was, are master manipulators, liars and con artists. They have to be to in order survive. It's the "nature of the beast" as Tank says.

We've all warmed up to Alex and have grown to love her. Poor Tanner was currently paired up with her. She's like a sister…which is unfortunate considering how much we're exposed to our supposed sister's sex life.

Don't get me wrong, Alex is called Ace for a reason. She is the best I've ever seen. But it's also a blow to the alpha male ego to have this super hot little woman perform such physical and dangerous jobs better than you. That's another one of the reasons no one is ever super excited about being her partner.

Tanner's ego certainly needs it and if you can get past that a tiny girl can be the shit out of you, Alex is a lot of fun to work with. She's always up for pranks and talking shit with the guys.

Most of us now see her as a really fucking sexy dude.

This doesn't stop Les from threatening anyone who works with her to not even glance at her ass. This is funny considering Alex can easily defend herself and has no qualms about tossing one of us if she thinks we're out of line.

Ranger is actually more lenient with Steph. We can look, flirt but we better know that the touches stop with hugs and cheek kisses.

How can we get away with this, you ask? Because Ranger once called Hal to the mats for hugging her with his hands to close to her ass and Steph found out and flipped her shit. Rumor has it that Ranger didn't get any for two weeks.

I think if anyone was going to punish someone by withholding sex in Alex and Les's marriage, it would be Les withholding it from Alex. I never thought I'd see the day when a woman could out fuck Santos. I guess he was smart enough to marry her when he found her.

RangeMan has changed a lot in the past year. It's always been an amazing place to work but now the atmosphere is just different. I think it's because all the partners are…happy. Not that they were miserable before but they all fell in love and now the place just feels different.

Their quicker to smile and crack jokes. We don't get called to the mats as much for petty shit. Everyone's in a better mood on a day to day basis.

There are some things which maybe aren't "for the better."

Like every time Lula comes in at noon for "lunch" everyone knows she's having sex with Tank in his office and we're not allowed to even approach the door until it opens back up.

Also, I have to live next to Alex and Les. I can't tell you how many times I've woken up to him shouting in Spanish or her crying out for god and trust me when I say they can go at it all night long. I wasn't joking about the ear plugs. Alex actually got me noise cancelling headphones after her last mission.

I told you she can be funny.

All Steph has to do is shoot Ranger a look and he barks that he's "offline" and then they're both racing up to seven to go at it. Bobby and Elaina are the most restrained. The only time I've seen them even kiss passionately is when he's about to go in the wind.

That is, until they came back from Napa Valley. Bobby Brown is taking the plunge. He asked Elaina to marry him and apparently the uptight lawyer was crazy enough to accept. They strolled back into RangeMan holding hands and Brown had a shit eating grin on his face. He called a meeting and then announced it.

Everyone went wild and Ella broke out champagne which we didn't even know she had. There were lots of hugs, handshakes and kisses (well we kissed Elaina…she's much prettier then Brown). The next few days, every time they were together they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Is this what getting engaged does to you?

Shit, and if married sex is what Les and Alex have then I might have to rethink my stance on relationships.

Ram apparently went down to Bobby's medic office to get some aspirin and when he walked in, he caught the two of them completely entwined, making out. He claims it looked like clothes were about to come off. Bobby ended up chucking the aspirin bottle at his head and told him not to bother him again unless someone's been shot.

I think we all thought the lives we led didn't go with relationships. It was practically a company motto. After seeing these four guys with their women, it's given some of the guys hope that it is possible to keep this job and have a genuine relationship. It's also given a few of us who were sworn bachelors something to think about. Maybe being in a relationship wouldn't be so terrible?

I mean, if Lester Santos can make a marriage work, then we should all be able too. Right?

Erik's POV

I've been paired up with Alexis Santos. When she first told me, I was dreading it. But I've been working with her for a few weeks now and I have to admit I've been enjoying it.

Ace is not only amazing at the job but she's fun to work with, once you get past the fact that she's a woman. A hot woman. She could easily handle the most high end skips herself. I wanted to make sure I got to have some fun too, though, so we decided to switch off who took lead. She said as long as I didn't fuck up, she could live with that system.

I've been trying hard to bond with her. I started seeing a therapist and he suggested that I try out having platonic relationships with women. I can't under any circumstances hit on them. I figured Ace would be my first trial because: 1) we already partners, 2) I'm scared she would kill me if I hit on her, 3) If she didn't kill me her husband DEFINITELY would.

I made sure that we got coffee or had lunch out of Rangeman every day so we could really get to know each other. She sure as shit didn't make that easy, though; there were so many things that she couldn't talk about because of her past life. She must be CIA, no other agency is that cagey and dramatic.

She did seem open to a friendship. She talked about her life with Lester, they're apparently planning to renovate their townhouse so that was a nice neutral topic for us. I never realized that having a conversation and a friendship could be so much work.

I have plenty of guy friends; we talk about sex, sports and weapons. Alex knew shit about sports and sex was off the table. So I tried my luck with weapons and hallelujah! Ace knew her fucking weapons!

We talked about guns for over an hour and what kind of gun you'd prefer for which kind of mission. I actually enjoyed this conversation and once I got comfortable talking about guns with her, the rest of our conversations began to flow more easily.

She started asking me about my custody battle. I would normally tell someone it's none of their fucking business, but I thought about what my therapist said and started talking about the situation with my ex and my son.

She was compassionate and understanding without pitying me. Who knew women were able to do that? Any time I have talked to a woman about it they get that look in their eyes like they just feel so sorry for you. It's terrible.

I thought I stepped in it when I asked her about children. She said there was a mission where she was injured and now was unable to have children. She didn't seem upset, just very matter of fact. I still felt weird, though. Am I supposed to hug her or some shit after this?

I settled for punching her in the arm.

She laughed at my awkwardness.

We were hanging out in the break room with Vince, Ram and Lester when Vince started giving her shit about her lack of culinary skills.

"Why the fuck is the only woman who can cook around here besides Ella, Elaina?" taunted Vince. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Steph and Lula?" he continued laughing.

"Yeah I heard Ranger opened up a Bed, Bath and Beyond card just so he could continuously replace all the pots that Steph burned and fucking Tank walked around for a week with Maalox in hand after Lula almost killed him with a goddamn ghost chilli!" added Ram with cackle.

"I'm not nearly as hopeless as they are!" Alex declared.

"I'll have you know I'm so much better since I started the cooking classes with Les. The class last week was 'Knife Skills' and I fucking owned that class. The instructor said he's never seen anything like it!" Alex said proudly.

"That's right. I was there-the instructor really was impressed," added Les, smiling at his wife.

Alex smirked at all of us and then walked over to her husband, kissing him passionately and grabbing his ass.

Ram, Vince and I groaned in protest.

"I have some paperwork to finish up, come back to four in an hour and I'll reward you for being such a supportive husband," Alex whispered loud enough for us all to ear as she bit Les's lower lip.

Les let out a moan as he stared at his wife's ass as she walked away.

"What really happened?" Vince asked once Alex was gone.

"The instructor wasn't impressed...dude was _terrified_. He said he has never seen anyone handle a knife the way she did and it wasn't a compliment. I had to lie, so I told the guy Alex's parents were knife throwing carnies and that's the reason she was so good with knives," Les said quietly leaning forward so we could all hear.

The three of us started cracking up. Ram threw his head back and roared with laughter. Vince was laughing so hard he was turning red and I wasn't sure if I could breath.

"Why didn't you just tell her the truth?" I asked when I finally composed myself.

"Have you not seen his wife take on three at once on the mats?" Vince said with a laugh.

I definitely have. I've even seen her take on four at once and she destroyed them all while the best they could do was land a strike or two.

"Would she really kick your ass?" I asked.

"Hell no! We like to spare but that's more like foreplay. I didn't tell her because I like having sex multiple times a day and I'm a fucking good husband. I know what she's sensitive about," Les explained.

"What is she sensitive about?" I inquired. I guess I was trying to learn something about my new friend.

"Alex is amazing when she's undercover. She completely transforms into a new person, it's probably the craziest thing I've ever seen. If she ever does a distraction for us you might see it. When she's undercover everything is calculated: how she walks, the accent, every mannerism is carefully planned out in her head. When she's just being herself, she sometimes doesn't seem to realize that certain personality traits make her…uh stand out. Like having those particular knife skills. She just wants to be normal," Les explained.

_Yeah, chick is totally CIA. _

"As her partner, I'll keep that in mind," I said.

"Do that. I'm going to meet up with my wife so she can reward me for being such a good husband. Later," Les said as he casually walked out of the room.

Ram and Vince headed to the gun range while I picked up the newspaper.

The door swung open and Elaina walked in.

"Hey, Elaina," I greeted.

"Hi Erik, I heard they served your ex. She has thirty days to get your son tested," she said as she poured herself coffee.

"Yeah, Shover called me. So I started seeing a therapist, like we talked about," I started.

"Oh yeah?" she asked.

"Yeah, he said I should start developing platonic friendships with women," I said.

"Are you propositioning me for a friendship now?" she sighed.

"Pretty much," I replied.

"Do I have to?" she groaned.

"You were the one that made therapy a part of our deal," I pointed out.

"Fine. We're officially friends," she agreed grudgingly.

"Good. Now, friend, have you kept up your end of our deal?" I asked innocently.

"No…"she started slowly. "I've been busy," she said lamely.

"Oh, I heard! Congratulations," I said. "I know how busy you've been and as your friend, I took it upon myself to make you an appointment for 3:00pm tomorrow. This woman specializes in sexual assault victims. She works in the same building as my therapist and is highly recommended," I said as I handed her a business card.

She shot me a nasty look as she took the card and replied, "Thanks."

"So are you going to have Bobby go with you?" I asked, damn well knowing the answer.

"No, I'm sure he's busy tomorrow," she replied neutrally, but not meeting my eyes.

"Keeping secrets from your future spouse is not the best way to start out a marriage," I whispered loudly as I touched her shoulder.

"Tanner?" she asked.

"What's up Elaina?"

"Shut-up," she said.

"Anything for you, friend. Well, I'll see you tomorrow considering I have an appointment at the same time and our doctors share a waiting room," I said easily as I walked out of the break room.

I didn't have to turn around to know Elaina Merritt was glaring at me.

Steph's POV

In a few weeks Carlos and I will be celebrating our one year anniversary. I know its kinda lame and it's not like we're married but I wanted to do something nice just to show him how much I loved him.

I wasn't planning anything really over the top, I just wanted to make it personal. I bought him a Han Solo coffee mug. We have a weird affection for "Empire Strikes Back." It's a long story but I knew he would get it.

I also got him a discreet looking giftcard for another pedicure. I know it'll never get used but it will at least make him laugh. I love to hear Carlos laugh. I also bought some sexy Batman underwear. I figured that would be his ultimate surprise.

I made us a reservation at the little Indian place where we had our first date and I talked to Tank to make sure that both of us could be offline so we could spend the entire weekend at Carlos's house, aka, the Bat Cave.

He's such a workaholic that we never get away. His business is growing fast and I'm so proud of how hard he's working but I think he needs to take a break every once in awhile.

I can't take him to an island for the weekend but I could at least get him the hell out of RangeMan for a few days.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: As always I don't own anything you recognize. JE owns it and make crazy money, I'm just playing.**

**VaBabe is continuously being an amazing Beta and turns these chapter around so fast! It's always me whose holding them up! **

**S and R barely appear in this chapter but they have big roles in the next two chapters. I ended up cutting their section in this one becaue it just flowed better in the next one. Sorry for those who will be slighly disappointed. There is sill ALOT going on in this chapter so I hope you will read and not be too disappointed. Thanks! **

Chapter 8

Tank's POV

I walked into my house after what felt like the longest shift. I was at the office for over nineteen hours. I've had longer shifts but today just felt longer.

My house was quiet and I breathed a sigh of relief. Don't get me wrong, I love my woman, but sometimes after a long day you just need a little quiet.

Since Lula started her new job we've been spending a lot more time together and it's been great. But I leave before she wakes and I get back after she's been home from work for several hours. I hate to admit it, but I miss my alone time.

The few times I had to sit in my favorite chair with a nice glass of wine or whiskey and a good book, nothing but golden silence.

I love Lula, but she hates when it's too quiet, while I crave it.

It used to be that her schedule was so busy that I had plenty of nights alone. Now I don't seem to have a moment to myself.

I poured myself a nice glass of Malbec and turned on some classical music. I took a sip and just breathed. I started to feel the tension leave my body.

I settled into my chair and picked up my Kindle. This is _exactly_ what I needed.

I finished about half a chapter when my cell went off. I glanced at the number; it was Lula probably telling me what time she'd be home.

"Yes, Sweetheart?" I answered as I got a smile on my face.

"Tank? I need your help. It's an emergency. Can you come by my office?" she asked.

My woman needed me, of course I was going.

"Be there in ten," I said as I hung up and grabbed my keys.

Lula was waiting for me in her little office.

"Tank! Thank the good lord you're here and can talk some sense into these boys!" Lula said as she stood up.

"Who are these boys?"I asked glancing at the three teenagers sitting in the chairs in her office.

"This is Clarence, Jordan and T.J. They've decided to enlist. But the fools don't know shit about what they're going to be signing on too. I need you to tell them what it's really like being in the military," Lula said as she gave the boys a stern look.

I groaned inwardly. _This was the emergency?_ I thought she was hurt or something.

Lula left her office and I stood in front of the teenage boys and started asking them why they wanted to join up. They all had similar weak answers so I started to break down what basic was really like and what they could expect if they were deployed.

We talked for over two hours and the boys decided they needed to think on this a little more. That's what I wanted. The military needs good men and women but I wanted the boys to really understand what the military is going to ask of you.

They all shook my hand and I have to admit I enjoyed talking with them. I was now dead tired and looking forward to going home.

Once the boys left, Lula dragged a young Hispanic kid in by his arm and sat him in the chair. "This is Juan, he's twelve and was caught dealing crack on the side of the goddamn street. He's not listening to me so I figured you could talk to him, too and set him straight," she said giving Juan a hard look. Juan had the good sense to look at the floor.

I talked to Juan for over an hour, and I sure as hell don't know if I got through to him. I hold him all about Hector.

Hector is RangeMan's electronics genius but before that he was a gangbanger who served five years for assault. That was the only charge that they could pin on him.

Once I was done talking to Juan, Lula had several more kids for me to talk too.

I was completely spent by the time we left.

We walked into the house and Lula immediately jumped on me, kissing me passionately.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed.

I sighed. "Lula, I love you and I'm very proud of the work that you do. I also don't have a problem helping out now and then but tonight felt a little bit excessive. If you want me to talk to boys who are thinking about enlisting, maybe we could set up a schedule at RangeMan where someone comes to your offices once a month and gives a talk," I suggested.

"Tank, that would be perfect! You'd do that?" she asked her face breaking into a huge smile.

"Of course Lula, I love you," I said as I kissed her forehead.

"Do you want me to make dinner?" she asked.

"No!" I may have shouted a little too quickly. I cleared my throat and continued, "We both had a long day; why don't we order takeout tonight?" I said, trying to recover.

Lula just laughed at me. "All right, Big Man. Why don't we order takeout and I'll show you how much I appreciate what you did for me?" she said as she began pulling me up the stairs.

I smiled. This was much better than a book and a glass of wine.

Erik's POV

Alex and I work well as partners. We've been able to communicate and we each respect each other's skills enough to trust each other's judgment. We've also fallen into an easy and open friendship.

The only thing that still bothers me is watching her and Santos dry hump each other while making out in the break room. I can't tell you how many times I've walked in on it and each time is more disturbing then the last.

The past week Alex has been moving a little slow. At first I thought that maybe Santos finally broke her. Then I began noticing her lack of appetite.

We entered a certain skips house which wasn't exactly the cleanest place and Alex ended up running out to vomit into the bushes. Then it all started to become very clear to me.

After we dropped off the skip, I bought her a ginger ale and some crackers. She smiled weakly at me as we walked back into RangeMan.

We went into the break room and sat down.

"Listen, you may just be coming down with something. Or there might be another possibility. I know you told me it's not possible, but you're tired, nauseous all the time and you're now vomiting, too. That's exactly what happened to my ex right before we found out she was pregnant," I explained.

"Tanner, it's just not possible," she argued.

"Well, then prove me wrong; take the test," I suggested.

"You want me to run out and pick up a pregnancy test, after I was told there was no chance I would ever be able to get pregnant?" she snorted.

"Nope, I have some in the bottom drawer of my desk," I said as I got up. I walked to my cubicle and pulled out three tests.

I walked back in the break room and put them on the table in front of Alex.

"Sack up Santos, if you're so positive. Just take the tests," I challenged, again.

Alex raised her eyebrows at me as she grabbed the tests and walked to the bathroom.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

I waited, five minutes went by…then ten…then fifteen. Those tests only take like three minutes; I was starting to get worried.

I walked over to the women's room and knocked on the door. I didn't hear anything. _Shit._ I took a small lock pick from my pocket and popped the lock. I opened the door and Alex was sitting on the floor with her knees bent and arms folded resting on her knees. Her head was down and the three tests were lying on the floor surrounding her.

I walked gently towards her and slowly sat down next to her. She didn't lift her head. I slowly picked up each of the pregnancy tests and saw that they all had a plus-sign in the window. _Holy fuck! Ace is pregnant!_

Alex raised her head and looked at me. Her face was tear-stained. "What am I going to do?" she whispered.

I slipped my arm around her and she collapsed sobbing into my lap. I stroked her hair while she cried. I didn't have a fucking clue what to say.

The door opened and Stephanie walked in and froze when she saw us.

"Call Santos, tell him to get back here now," I said.

Steph surveyed the scene and gave me a nod before running off.

"I'm a killer. I can't be a mom," Alex chocked out between sobs.

I shushed her. "Hey, you don't have to do anything. You have choices you just need to figure out what you really want," I said quietly, rocking her small body as I began to rub her back.

"I have to talk to Les. What happens if he doesn't want it? We always thought we weren't going to be able to have children," she asked.

"Well the first question you have to answer, is do you want this baby?" I said.

She looked up at me "I don't know. I can't imagine having an abortion. This is my child with Les. But I don't know if I can be a mother," she cried.

"Hey, just for the record, I think you'd be an amazing mom. My only suggestion is that you figure out what you want before you hear what Les wants. You don't want to do something to make him happy and then end up resenting him for it later," I said.

She nodded. "Will you come to the gym with me?" she asked. Shit, she sounded so vulnerable. I really wasn't sure how to handle crying women.

"Of course," I said as I kissed her forehead. Where the hell did that come from? I helped Alex up and kept my arms around her as I guided her out of the bathroom and to gym.

Alex came out of the women's locker room, which basically had four lockers and a shower, as I emerged from the much larger men's.

Alex was staring at where the guys were sparing. "I don't think you should be sparing," I mumbled.

"Shit, you're right. I guess I'm going to go work on the bag," she said.

"I'll be right next to you," I said as I squeezed her shoulder.

She gave me a grateful smile as we walked up to the punching bags and began to hit.

Bobby's POV

Elaina and I just stepped off the plane in Charleston, South Carolina and a knot began forming in my stomach. I was bringing Elaina "home" with me to meet my family for the first time.

My relationship with my family was contentious at best, downright hostile at worst. We haven't spoken much over the past ten years. My family never really accepted my decision to join the military and they weren't exactly proud of my latest chosen profession.

When I thought about proposing to Elaina, I thought about the importance of family. Was I really going to deny my children access to their grandparents? My parents are getting older; am I really comfortable only seeing them at weddings and funerals? The truth is I missed my family.

My relationship with my family wasn't always rocky. It started when I decided to enlist, something no one in my family supported.

I just figured that it was time to try to let go of the past and move forward. I reached out to my father to tell him that I was engaged and he immediately asked me to come home and to bring Elaina with me to welcome her to our family. This was a huge relief.

The knot in my stomach wasn't forming because I was seeing my family for the first time in years; it was because I've neglected telling Elaina certain information about my family.

Basically, I told her I'm from Charleston, my family still lives there and we aren't close because they didn't approve of my decision to enlist. All of which is true.

I was gripping her hand nervously as I was driving our rental car toward my parents' home. Elaina was noticing my nerves and gently gave my hand a squeeze. I glanced over and she smiled at me. I turned on to the long private road that leads up to my parents' estate.

_I should just tell her before we get there. I can't really hide this any longer. _

"Laina, there's something you should probably know about my family," I said slowly.

"Holy shit!" she said as she watched a group of horses run past us on the right. She was staring at the large ranch. "Who lives like this?"she breathed in awe.

_Shit._

"My parents," I said.

"What?" she said turning to look at me.

"This is their estate," I explained slowly.

"_Estate_?" she asked incredulously.

"Yeah…"I trailed off.

I took another turn and pulled up to the main house.

"What the fuck!" Elaina shouted as her eyes swept over the house. "Bobby! This is where your parents live?" she gasped.

My parents' house, for lack of a better term is a mansion. They call it a country manor. Elaina was slowly taking in the fountain and the expanse of gardens along the east side of the house.

I parked the car and turned to look at my future wife. "Okay, so have you heard of Senator Gordon Brown? That's my uncle," I started.

"Your uncle is a Senator of South Carolina?" Elaina said staring at me.

I took a breath. "My uncle on my mother's side is Governor Paul Chamberlin. My grandfather is Senator Edward Brown, Sr. We have a very political family, my father is retired Congressman Edward Brown, Jr.," I said as I braced myself for her reaction.

"You're related to the Chamberlins? Their like the Southern Republican Kennedys! I took you to my parents and we had a barbeque and played wiffleball!" She exclaimed. "Holy shit, I took a Chamberlin to my parents' house and we ate off plastic plates," Elaina said as she covered her face with her hands.

"Baby, please stop. You took _me_ to your parents' house. You know me. I loved the barbeque and playing wiffleball with your nephews. It was an awesome weekend," I said trying to reassure her.

I should have told her sooner. Now we're parked in the car and I'm sure one of the butlers has told my parents we're here and my fiancé is having a meltdown. Elaina is _never_ rattled, this was freaking me out.

She took a deep breath and looked at me. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"We'll talk later, I promise. We just need to get through dinner and then we can talk," I said calmly. I hoped it was calmly.

I took a look at my fiancé who was completely shell shocked at the bomb I just dropped on her. I grabbed her face and kissed her with everything I had. She was still for a few seconds and then began responding to me opening her mouth for my tongue and wrapping her arms around me.

I broke the kiss and stared in her eyes, "I love you, please don't worry about this. Everything is going to be fine," I said.

She nodded and I kissed her forehead.

I opened the door and walked around the car to open her door and help her. We're usually not this formal but I was scared she wouldn't get out of the car otherwise.

She paused and took a deep breath.

A soft smile appeared on her face as she took my hand and walked confidently to the house. My parents emerged as Elaina and I reached the stairs.

"Robert, my boy!" my father called out. As I walked up the stairs and took his our stretched hand and shook it.

"Ah, you must be Elaina," my father said turning to Elaina and kissing her cheek.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir," Elaina replied.

"Please call me Edward. This is my wife Margaret," my father said, introducing my mother.

My mother stepped forward and hugged Elaina while kissing her cheek. "Welcome my dear. We're so glad to have you. Please come in, you must be tired after traveling," she said as she led us into the parlor.

One of the butlers came in with a bottle of white wine and a bottle of scotch. My father and I were handed tumblers of scotch while Elaina and my mother sipped glasses of wine.

We all took our seats.

"I had Michael set you up in the blue room on the east wing. I hope that's alright," my mother said.

"Anything would do. Thank you for having us," I replied.

"Of course, darling!" my mother replied. "Elaina, please tell us about yourself. Edward and I are dying to know everything. Where are you from and what do you do?" she asked turning towards Elaina.

"I'm originally from Massachusetts and I'm an attorney," Elaina said.

"What type of law? Which firm do you work for?" my father asked.

"I actually work for The Chase Foundation which is a non-profit organization. We specialize in working with the chronically-ill and in the past few years we've expanded to helping veterans," Elaina explained.

"How nice. I assume that the little charity can't possibly provide much of living, so I take it your parents are still supporting you?" my mother said giving Elaina a smile.

_Shit._

I saw Elaina's mouth tighten slightly but the smile never left her face. "No Ma'am, my mother is a school teacher and my father works in construction. He's a foreman. My job is lucrative enough that I'm able to support myself," Elaina replied calmly.

My mother's jaw clenched and then relaxed. My father just poured himself another drink.

"Are you planning to continue to work once you're married? I'm sure you heard of Robert's trust which he still hasn't touched. I'm sure that will all change soon," my mother said casually as she took a sip of wine.

_FUCK. _I hadn't told Elaina anything about my trust fund. It was turned over to me when I was twenty-one but I was deployed. I haven't needed the money so I haven't touched it. I make good money as a partner at RangeMan and I've stocked away a decent nest egg on my own.

I thought I would use some of the trust money to build Elaina and I a dream house and then put some away for college funds and retirement. Maybe donate the rest to charity or something…I figured we could cross that bridge when we got there.

Elaina took a sip of wine. I could tell she needed a moment to compose herself. "I didn't know about the trust," she said shooting me a look. "I'm planning to continue working. I'm a partner in The Chase Foundation and my work is very important to me. Bobby has always been supportive," she replied.

"You didn't know? How long have you been involved with my son?" my mother said re-crossing her legs and giving Elaina a long look.

"Nine months," I answered. "The best nine months of my life. Elaina and I just got engaged; I was planning to sit down and go over all our finances before the wedding," I said evenly as I took Elaina's hand and squeezed it.

"That's awfully fast. Is there any reason for a rush?" my father said as his eyes traveled down to Elaina's stomach.

"No, I'm not pregnant. Bobby and I are just happy. He asked; I said yes. We don't see a reason to wait," Elaina said, giving me a smile.

"Well, my dear, that's lovely. Now, I don't mean to make you uncomfortable but I do hope you understand that our family needs to protect itself. Not that anything would ever happen between you and Bobby," Mom said as she gestured for a butler to refill her wine.

"You want me to sign a pre-nup?" Elaina asked.

"We just got engaged. Can't we enjoy it before we start with all this?" I groaned.

"I have no issues signing one. Bobby and I will sit down with our attorneys when we get back," Elaina said easily.

"No need my dear. I will have one sent to your office. We have one that all the spouses who marry into the family sign. Now, we're having a small garden party tonight. Why don't we show you to your rooms and give you a chance to freshen up?" my mother finished.

"No need. I know where the blue room is," I said as I stood taking Elaina's hand and leading her out of the parlor.

_I guess it could've gone worse?_


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: JE owns everything you recognize.**

**Thanks as always to VaBabe for being a beta goddess! I couldn't do this without you!**

Chapter 9

Lester's POV

Steph's phone call had me in a panic. What was wrong with Alex? Was she sick? I've noticed that she's been having a little trouble getting up in the morning. I just assumed I was wearing her out at night.

My mind was racing as I sped back to RangeMan. I flew up the stairs to five and found Steph.

"Where is she?" I asked her.

"In the gym," Steph replied as she nodded towards the monitor. I looked at the monitor and saw Alex kicking the shit out of a punching bag. Her arms and legs were a blur of motion.

She was in just a sports bra and shorts. Her hair was pulled up in a knot on top of her head and she was glistening with sweat.

Each of our women have an exercise tell when their upset. If Steph comes down to the gym after her mandatory work out and hits the treadmill, she's either had a fight with Ranger or her mother. If Lula is in the gym longer than 45 minutes, something is wrong. It's usually stress from school. If Elaina wants to use a punching bag you know she's upset. She loves cardio and Bobby makes her work on self defense but Elaina abhors violence. She's a little strange, as far as RangeMan's concerned.

Alex never takes her shirt off to work out. Not because she's self conscious, her body is amazing. She does it because she doesn't like to remind the guys that she's a woman. She works hard to fit in and even when she's called to the mats, while the guys show up shirtless, she's always in a tank top. If she's down to a sports bra, working her ass off and doesn't give a shit whose looking at her: this means something's bothering her.

I felt a stab of fear when I thought about what it could mean. Is she going on a suicide mission? Did the agency threaten me to get her to do it? This has always been my biggest fear. It's the one thing about our marriage that keeps me up at night. I was her weakness, and they know it.

I took a breath and slammed down my blank face to hide my emotions. I took the elevator down to the gym. I gave the men a look when I walked through the doors. They all jumped off the machines and headed toward the doors. Tanner was working on a bag next to Alex.

"Tanner, I need a moment alone with my wife," I said.

Tanner looked at Alex. "Are you okay? Do you want me to stay?" he asked.

_What the fuck? I'm her fucking husband, asshole, she doesn't need you to stay!_

Alex shook her head, "No, but thank you," she said giving Tanner a smile.

I know that they're partners, but I don't like this dynamic.

Tanner left and I turned to Alex. "Angel, please, you're scaring me. What's wrong?" I asked.

Alex closed her eyes and when she opened them tears began to run down her face. I felt the panic rising in my chest.

"I'm pregnant. And I think I want to keep it," she said.

"What? You can't be," I started. We all know she can't have kids.

She walked to the locker room and returned holding three sticks. She showed me each one. They all had a plus sign. I took them from her and stared at them. We were both silent.

I finally looked at her. "Are you serious? These are yours? We may actually be pregnant?" I asked.

"I think it's more me then you, but yes. I still need to go to the Doctor's to confirm but I think I'm pregnant," she said.

She was staring at me with fear in her eyes.

I looked down at the sticks in my hand. My throat tightened and I felt tears sting my eyes.

"I'm going to be a dad," I said as I looked up and smiled at her. She took a look at my face and broke down sobbing. I rushed towards my wife catching her in my arms as she collapsed.

"Angel, besides you agreeing to marry me this is the best thing I've ever heard," I whispered.

"Please don't say that! What happens if we go to the doctor's and I'm not? Or something is wrong with the baby? Or I have a miscarriage? I'm so scared Les," she cried as she clung to me.

"Angel, whatever happens I'm here. I love you and I'm not going anywhere. Let's make the appointment and take it from there. Okay?" I said as I held her. "Now, we're going upstairs and you're going to take a bath and relax while I make us an appointment. No matter what, it's going to be alright," I said as I kissed her forehead.

She nodded as I helped her up and guided her back to our apartment. I didn't want to admit it to myself, but I desperately wanted her to be pregnant. Those tests gave me hope when I didn't think there was any. I know how scared Alex was of disappointing me but she needs to know I could never be disappointed with her.

I was always planning for us to discuss adoption or surrogacy once she hit 33. She said she planned to stop accepting missions once she turned 35. I was also planning on retiring at 35. But if she's pregnant I could see myself retiring now and hopefully she would too. We certainly didn't need the money, but I know how hard it will be for her to give up a lifestyle which she loved so much.

I heard the bath running and I called my sister Luisa for advice. Luisa just had a baby a few months ago and I know if I begged she'd keep quiet until we were sure. Luisa gave me the name of a doctor and I called to set up an appointment for the next week.

I know Alex was freaked out and needed to talk to someone. I called the one woman who would have an idea what she was going though.

Lula's POV

Lester called and asked Tank and I to come for dinner. He said Alex was really going to need me. When he told me that she thought she was pregnant a wave of emotions passed through me. I may have felt a little jealous. I still didn't want children but maybe I'd feel differently if I had the option.

I also felt sympathy for the girl. She was told she would never have children. She mourned her loss, moved on and accepted it. She planned her life around not having children. She does a job which you can't possibly do pregnant and had decided that children were never going to be part of her life plan. Now she has to rethink that entire life plan. Did she really never want children or did she just accept that she couldn't have any? That's a question I don't know if I'd be able to answer.

Tank and I arrived at Les's apartment and Les directed me to the bedroom as he handed Tank a beer.

I slowly opened the door. Alex was sitting in the middle of the bed dressed in yoga pants and a tank top hugging her knees to her chest. Her hair was damp and she looked pale.

"Lula," she said as her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh honey," I said as I walked over to her and gathered the woman in my arms. I held her in my arms and stroked her hair. "It's all right baby girl. Everything is going to be okay," I whispered.

"I never thought this would happen. I didn't think this _could_ happen and now I don't know how I'm supposed to feel. And Les! Les is so excited and we haven't even seen the Doctor yet. If I'm pregnant I know I want to keep it, but what does this mean for my life. My work?" she asked as tears continued to fall down her face.

"Baby, that will all be figured out once you know for sure. I can't imagine hearing that I was pregnant after being told that there's no way it could happen. It's gotta be some kind of mind fuck. Just know that there is no right way to feel," I said soothingly.

We sat in silent for a moment.

"Lula?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay talking to me about this?" she asked.

"I'm fine. Don't you start worrying about me. You have enough to think about," I pointed out,

"Do you think it would be asking too much if I asked you to come to the Doctor's with me?" she asked.

"Honey if you want me there, I'm there," I reassured her. "Now, I think we better get your possibly-knocked-up-ass some food," I said.

She let out a laugh as she wiped away the tears.

It was strange seeing her like this. I've never seen this woman so vulnerable. She was one tough bitch who I've seen take a punch and not even flinch. Seeing her cry was really messing with me.

I led her out of the bedroom and Les was waiting with open arms. He hugged his wife and kissed her hair. We all sat down to a dinner of takeout Thai food.

Alex looked like she was trying to eat but was picking at her food. Les was watching her closely and got up and got her a ginger ale. She looked at him gratefully.

We finished dinner and as Tank and I left, I noticed Alex was still looking pale and shaky.

I absently thought about this being the first night in months Lester wasn't getting any.

Steph's POV

It was a strange few days. I caught Alex crying in the bathroom in Erik Tanner's arms. I've never seen Les so scared when he flew into the control room looking for her. I guess they worked it out because I saw them both the next day and they seemed alright.

Alex was a little pale and looked a little tired but other than that she seemed fine. Les said she was just sick and was going off active field duty for a little while. I know something else is going on but they clearly weren't ready to talk about it.

I was getting ready to celebrate my one year anniversary with Carlos. I put on some skinny jeans and sexy shoes with a black top which showed off just the right amount of cleavage. I was trying for dressy casual.

I threw some moose in my hair and lined my eyes to make them stand out.

I checked my watch and smiled as I realized Carlos should be home any minute. He was in the field with Tank.

I sat on the couch and waited.

I picked up a magazine and casually flipped through. It was a weapons magazine and even though I know a little I couldn't make myself care.

I flipped on the television and channel surfed stopping at a Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Is it bad that even though they have more money than me, they make me feel better about myself because of the way they behave? I thought I looked like trash rolling around in garbage chasing skips but that's nothing compared to some of these broads.

I got through an entire episode and still no Ranger. Another terrible episode passed. I checked my phone and saw a text.

"_Caught up in the field Babe. Be home late. Still on for dinner." _

Ahh, my sexy boyfriend…so eloquent. An hour later Ranger showed up.

"Do I even want to know?" I asked, as he walked into the door.

"Sorry Babe. Give my 20," he said as he kissed my forehead then headed to the bathroom.

I took a breath and let go of my disappointment. He was here and we were going to spend our anniversary together.

He showered and changed within ten minutes. How do guys do that? AND he looked damn good. I guess when you're naturally as good looking as Carlos, you don't need much work.

"I'm sorry Babe," he said again as he leaned down and kissed me. All my frustration and anger melted away with the feel of his lips and the sounds of his deep voice apologizing.

I would kill to learn that trick.

He guided me out the door and down to the garage. We took the turbo and Carlos drove to the little Indian place where we had our first "real" date.

Carlos guided me into the restaurant and I watched him hand the host a $50 considering we were two and half hours late to our reservation. They quickly sat us in a quiet corner.

I love this place. Not only is the food amazing but it's intimate and dark. All the tables are set far apart so you don't feel like you're crowding another couples' space.

"Babe, I'm so sorry about tonight," Carlos said taking my hand.

"Its fine, shit happens. We're here," I said smiling at him.

He visibly relaxed.

"Now tell me, mi novio, what has been the best part of spending the past year in a committed relationship?" I asked with a smile as I took a sip of wine.

"You," he said as he smiled at me.

"That's a weak answer!" I challenged.

"Absolutely not," he countered. "I could never be in a committed relationship with anyone else. You've understood my life and my business. I couldn't ask for a better woman," he replied.

I may have melted a little bit.

"I'm really excited to have the weekend to ourselves," I said smiling at him.

Just then his blank face slammed down.

What is he thinking? Like I wouldn't notice it!

"Carlos…" I said warning him.

"Babe," he replied.

"Spit it out Batman," I said.

"New client meeting tomorrow morning. They specifically requested to meet with me personally. It's a lucrative account," he explained.

"And this can't wait till Monday?" I asked.

"No Babe. It's a brunch meeting at 11:30am. I want you to come with me. Tank will be going too," he said.

"How romantic," I retorted.

I wanted to put my head on the table and bang it repeatedly. Ricardo Carlos Manoso is my soul mate, but that doesn't mean I don't want to kick my soul mate in the shin sometimes.

"Babe, I love you," he said as he squeezed my hand.

"I wasn't questioning that Carlos," I pointed out.

I took a deep breath. "Let's just enjoy tonight. It's still our anniversary and the past year with you has been amazing. I don't want a stupid meeting to ruin our night," I said as I squeezed his hand back.

I once again let go of my disappointment and enjoyed the rest of dinner. Afterwards, we drove to the Bat Cave and I began getting excited about giving Carlos his presents. It's not much, but I love being the one to make him smile.

We got into the house and he saw my little package sitting on the counter.

"What's this?" he asked with a smile.

"Nothing much, just a little anniversary present," I said as I felt my cheeks get warm.

He smiled warmly at me and opened the present. He pulled out the Han Solo mug and the pedicure gift card. He threw his head back and let out a deep laugh. "Babe I love it. I don't know if I need another pedicure. I think once was enough but thank you!" he said laughing as he took me in his arms and nuzzled my neck.

"Want your present?" he asked with a devious smile.

"Yes, please!" I exclaimed.

He got up and disappeared for a second. He returned with a light blue box. Every woman knows, this means Tiffany's.

I thought about my silly Solo mug and got slightly uncomfortable.

Carlos handed me the box and I opened it slowly revealing a diamond necklace as well as earrings.

"Carlos, this is too much! You didn't have to do this," I gasped. I always feel like he's spoiling me while I get him nothing but joke gifts.

"I know. I wanted too," he said. He pulled me once again into his arms and kissed me again. I felt myself tingle all over.

"Let me just try these on," I whispered.

I went into the bathroom and stripped down to my Batman underwear. I clearly kept my heels on because they make me feel skinner (is that weird?).

I lost the ten pounds and was feeling decently confident as I put on the earrings and the necklace. I fluffed my hair, used some mouthwash and touched up my make-up.

It was time for our real celebration to begin.

I walked out into to the living room where Carlos was waiting for me. He turned toward me when he heard my footsteps. "Babe," he said is a husky voice as his eyes darkened.

"Do you like how the jewelry looks?" I asked innocently.

"I do. I also like the underwear," he said staring at the Batman logo on my crotch.

I couldn't help but smile as I walked slowly up the stairs, Carlos following me closely. As soon as I got a foot inside the bedroom he turned me around roughly and kissed me hard.

I moaned as I felt his tongue. He continued kissing me as he walked me backwards to the bed, where he collapsed on top of me. I pulled at his shirt, getting him to quickly tug it off and throw it to the floor before he began kissing down my body. I felt the heat in my belly building in response to his skillful lips.

He was kissing the Batman logo when I felt his fingers slip first into my panties and then into me. I let out a moan as I gripped the sheets.

I then heard the sound of a familiar chirp. Someone was texting Carlos. I expected him to ignore it but when I saw his hand reach into his pocket for his phone I lost my temper.

"You better be fucking kidding me," I growled as I lifted my head up. "Your fingers are _inside me_. It can _fucking_ wait," I seethed.

Carlos froze when he saw the look on my face.

He dropped his phone to the ground immediately and went back to demonstrating his love and devotion.

He didn't touch his phone for the rest of the night and we continued to make love until I was sure that my legs were going to fall off.

We fell asleep wrapped up in each other's arms, with his cell phone still on the floor right where he dropped it.

Just the way it should be.

Bobby's POV

I led Elaina to the east wing and then into the blue room. It's a large bedroom with two bathrooms attached. Our things were already waiting for us.

I shut the door behind us and walked quickly to Elaina taking her in my arms.

"You were amazing," I said kissing her hair.

She held me tight and buried her head in my chest as she let out a breath.

"Trust fund? What the hell Bobby? What else are you hiding? Why wouldn't you tell me?" she asked as she broke away from me and began rubbing her temples.

"Most people don't know. The only people in my life now that do are Les, Ranger and Tank. The rest of the guys don't even know," I started.

"You're not marrying the rest of the guys," she said coldly.

"I didn't tell you about the trust or my family because I didn't want it to influence your decision," I admitted.

She froze. "You think that I would marry you for _money_?" she said as her eyes began blazing.

_Fuck! That didn't come our right._

"No! Fuck no, Elaina! I thought my family and the money would scare you off! You've worked for everything you have and you thought I did the same thing. I don't think you know how amazing it felt to have you love me for me. To have you want to marry me for me. Can you accept all this?" I asked grabbing her hands.

She sighed. "I love you. I just feel like you've been keeping so much from me. I'm wondering how well I know you right now. Did we move too fast?" she asked.

I could feel myself starting to panic. We didn't move too fast. This is the woman that I love and who I want to spend the rest of my life with. I had no doubts or second guesses.

I grabbed her face roughly to mine and kissed her hard. She sighed and moaned as I picked her up and tackled her onto the bed.

I ripped off her shirt and pulled off her boots and pants. She removed my shirt and pulled down my jeans which I quickly stepped out of before she yanked me down on top of her.

I kissed her again, pushing my tongue into her mouth as I shoved my hand into her panties and began touching her. She moaned and grabbed me, guiding me into her. We went at it hard and fast both seeking a release from all the pent up stress.

I watched as Elaina gasped, her back arching and muscles tightening around me. _Fuck._ I followed right after her, moaning into her neck.

_God, she felt good._

This felt good. _We_ felt good. How could she deny this?

I rolled off her pulling her possessively to my chest as we both caught our breath. I kissed her forehead. "I love you more than anything. If you want to take the money from my trust and light it on fire I would do it," I whispered.

"Just be honest with me from now on. How much is it anyways? Like I can get a new car and two of our children can go to private school or I can build my own space ship tomorrow and take off?" she asked with a laugh.

"125 Million," I said as I held my breath.

I felt her freeze in my arms. "Bobby, that's not funny," she answered.

"I'm not joking," I answered.

She sat up and looked at me. "Who are you?" she asked with a shake of her head.

"Baby, you're getting yourself all turned around by this. It's still me. I love you. Nothing has changed. We should probably get up and get ready," I said.

Elaina agreed and headed to her bathroom. I stepped into mine and jumped into the shower and was out before Elaina was finished.

I heard a knock on the door and I threw a towel around my waist and opened the door. It was my mother and her seamstress Nancy.

"Hello darling, Nancy brought some dresses for Elaina to try one and some suits for you. She of course can take in or let out anything, so please try some on. We don't have much time," my mother said, drink still in hand.

I threw on the gray suit and light blue shirt that my mother had brought and while Nancy was pinning it to take it in my mother began to talk.

"Nine months is awfully fast. It's a surprise that she even agreed to it considering she didn't even know you had a trust fund," my mother said mildly.

"Are you trying to insult me, saying that it's a shock any woman would agree to marry me in such a short period of time or is Elaina just a gold digger?" I asked as Nancy decided that the waist should be taken in.

"Darling, any woman would be lucky to have you. Just wait until the party tonight, there are plenty of women who heard you were back in town and were dying for an invitation," she replied.

"They know this party is being thrown for my engagement?" I asked, as Nancy held up different ties to choose from.

"They understand it's for your engagement, not your marriage," she said easily as she continued to sip her wine.

"I'm marrying Elaina. Respect that," I said firmly.

"Of course I do! I wouldn't have booked the Fosters for next April would I?" my mother added.

This actually struck a chord with me, the Fosters is an old mansion which dwarfs my parents and has been rented out as a venue for the elite of the elite of South Carolina. My parents and almost all my family members have been married there.

"Darling, I just want you to really think about how well you know this girl. Nine months is fast and can she really adjust to our type of society? You've heard what her parents do for god's sake. I just want you to really think on this. How well can you really know a person after nine months?" she asked.

I was about to respond when Elaina walked out of the bathroom.

"Ah, Elaina, Nancy here has dresses for you to try on. I'll give you some privacy," my mother said, she stood up and kissed my check as she exited.

I took a look at Elaina's face and knew she heard everything my mother said.

_FUCK. _


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N - JE owns everything you recognize.**

**Thanks as always to VaBabe for being a badass Beta even when she's on vacation! You're a rockstar!**

Chapter 10

Elaina's POV

I was pissed.

No, pissed isn't the right term. I was LIVID.

I could hear Bobby and his mother's conversation while I was in the bathroom curling my hair.

I knew I should stop listening but I couldn't help it. This woman had already made it clear to me that she doesn't like or trust me. I wasn't exactly her biggest fan either.

Now, she's practically calling me a gold digger and then telling Bobby that there will be plenty of women at _our engagement party_ who would be happy to marry him.

_What the fuck is wrong with this bitch?_

I was getting ready for my own engagement party and I felt completely alone. I was engaged to a man who had been keeping some pretty significant secrets from me and now I was attending a party thrown by people who didn't like me.

I leaned against the door and stared at the ceiling. I wanted to run out of this place and speed to the airport. I could be at the lounge with a gin martini in an hour, back in Trenton before midnight.

I thought about Bobby.

I love him. I want to marry him. _But who the hell is he?_

How could he not tell me? He told me as we pulled up to this house and now I'm going to have to play along or cause a scene.

Part of me just wants to run out there and tell him mother to go fuck herself and that her son is mine now and she better get fucking used to it! I'd grab Bobby and we'd leave this place and stop at some cute Bed and Breakfast where we'd spend the rest of the weekend having crazy sex and forget all about his pretentious family.

I thought about Bobby and his father. He was so happy when they finally spoke and his father invited us here. This meant so much to him.

_FUCK._

I was still pissed at him, but I'm also afraid. I'm afraid like I might actually lose him. Why does this feel like it could be the end?

I don't think this is how someone who's newly engaged is supposed to feel.

I took a breath. It was time to put on my big girl panties and man up…woman up…whatever.

I walked out of the bathroom.

"Ah, Elaina, Nancy here as dresses for you to try on. I'll give you some privacy," Margaret said, she stood up and kissed Bobby's cheek as she exited.

Bobby was staring at my face in horror. He knew that I heard.

Nancy had five dresses laid out for me.

I swallowed hard. I could do this. Plenty of people don't like me; it's never bothered me before. I guess it's different when it's people you're about to be related too.

"Bobby, which one do you like?" I asked, looking up at him.

"The blue would bring out your eyes and you'd be coordinated with Robert. Very appropriate for an engaged couple," Nancy said smiling at me as she held up the dress.

"Sure, thank you Nancy," I said returning the smile.

I tried on the blue dress and Nancy pinned it, then had me take it off so she could alter it. She grabbed Bobby's suit on her way out.

We were both just standing around in our underwear. I guess this is what rich people do.

"I'll bring everything back within thirty minutes. You two are going to look like the perfect couple. I promise!" Nancy said beaming.

_Looks can be deceiving. _

Once she left, Bobby turned to me, "I know you heard what my mother said. I don't give a shit what she thinks. I know you and I love you; her opinion doesn't matter to me," he said quietly.

He looked as scared as I felt.

"Like you said, we just gotta get through dinner," I said, giving him a small smile.

He sighed as we walked toward me, scooping me up and tossing me on the bed. I assumed we were just going to have sex again but instead he lay down with me and held me tight against him. He kissed my hair and his hands were just rubbing my back. I lay against his chest and just listened to his heart beat while we waited for Nancy.

_I can do this. I HAVE to do this._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Bobby and I walked into the garden for our "small" garden engagement party. There must have been two hundred people there.

_Shit. _

I plastered a smile on my face while Bobby took my hand and squeezed. We grabbed champagne as people came up to us to congratulate us. I shook hands and made small talk.

Bobby and I were repeatedly dragged away from each other to talk to and meet other people by his mother. Bobby was constantly being introduced to women while I kept being dragged away to talk to men.

_What the hell?_

Was his mother trying to set us up at our engagement party?

I was pretending to listen to some Wall Street broker talk to me about something that I could care less about when I realized Bobby was staring at me from across the garden while some leggy brunette was talking to him. _Bitch._

I gave him a small smile. He returned it with an apologetic look and mouthed "I love you."

I nodded.

The party lasted well past midnight and the guests kept Bobby and me apart for almost the whole evening. I was tired and drained as I walked back to our room. I had no idea where Bobby was. I changed into my pajamas and climbed into bed. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Bobby and I stepped off the plane in Trenton. It was a tense morning and a quiet plane ride. The only nice part of the day was when I first woke up in Bobby's arms. It was the moment between wake and sleep before you really remember everything that's going on.

We were walking towards Bobby's car to head back to RangeMan.

I couldn't do it. My mind was racing and I just wasn't ready for this.

"Bobby, I'm sorry," I said as I stopped walking. "I need to go back to my place tonight," I explained as I started walking towards the cab stand.

"Elaina! Please don't do this. I love you. We can get through this," Bobby said as he chased after me.

"I know. I'm not breaking up with you. I just need some time to get my head around everything. Pick me up at my place tomorrow around eight, okay?" I said.

He dropped his bag to the ground and pulled me to him kissing me in such a way that I'm pretty sure I forgot my own name.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too. Just give me a little space. Please," I asked as I pulled away and walked to get a cab.

I glanced back and Bobby was just staring after me, blank face firmly in place.

Steph's POV

I hate to admit it but I actually enjoyed brunch. Our clients, Livy and Annette Swan, were sisters and owned a high end shoe store. They were AWESOME! I ended up getting to talk about shoes and I had two mimosas. I normally don't touch any alcohol during client meetings but I figured they were crashing my anniversary weekend. I wasn't crashing their client meeting.

I really enjoyed brunch.

Ranger was driving my tipsy ass back to RangeMan to file a report before we headed back to the Bat Cave where Ranger would and Carlos would reappear to cook me dinner.

Eventually I'm going to have to have a discussion with Carlos about being such a workaholic. All the guys work crazy hours, especially the partners. But somehow, Les, Tank and Bobby turn it off easier then Carlos does. They can go on vacation and trust the other guys to handle it. They can take weekends off once in a while and you can bet your ass that they don't try and pick up their cells in the middle of sex.

Alex would probably kill Les…literally.

I headed back up to seven for a quick nap (to sober up). I climbed into the million thread count sheets and was asleep within seconds.

I woke up an hour later and jumped into the shower and pulled myself together. After I finished my hair and make-up I jumped a mile when I exited the bathroom and saw Carlos sitting on the bed.

"Shit! You scared the hell out of me," I exclaimed.

Carlos stood up slowly and moved towards me. I felt myself back up a step. What is he up to?

He caught me in his arms and kissed me softly. "You've been very patient with me. I have a surprise for you," he whispered.

I felt a shiver of excitement go down my spine. Carlos's surprises usually consist of mind blowing orgasms and sore legs. Just the things anniversaries are made of.

I waited on him to throw me on to the bed and make me scream but it didn't happen. Instead, he kissed my nose, grabbed my hand as he led me to the elevator and hit the button for the garage.

Was he going to tease me in the car until we get back to the Bat Cave? I could get into that!

I nuzzled his neck and kissed his face. He pulled me away and just kissed my lips softly while mumbling "Patience."

I was ready to explode. The Bat Cave is only fifteen minutes from RangeMan but there was no way I was planning to keep my hands to myself on the drive over.

Carlos guided me out of the elevator and then raised his hand and hit an unlock button on a foreign set of keys.

_Okay, I'm officially confused._

Carlos pulled my hand toward the sound of the beeping which was coming from behind the SUV's. We rounded the corner and …

_Holy mother of god! It's an Aston Martin!_

"What is this?" I exclaimed. Okay, I knew what it was, but why the hell as it here?

"Happy Anniversary Babe," he whispered in my ear.

"Huh?" I eloquently responded.

"I know I haven't been the perfect boyfriend. I know how crazy it's been at work but I wanted you to know that I love you," he said as he kissed me face. That was practically a speech for Carlos.

"With…a car?" Why the hell would he get me a car?

"Yes, Babe," he said with a laugh.

"This is really too much. I don't know what to say," I said. I was completely astounded. I should be THRILLED. My boyfriend just bought me a car that James freaking Bond drives.

It just felt...weird. Maybe mistress like. Definitely kept woman status. Not proper-girlfriend-in-normal-healthy-relationship-who-got-him-a-Star-Wars-mug. I mentally winced.

"Say 'gimme the keys'" he whispered in my ear as he hugged me tight.

_Shit. He thinks I love it. _

I can't be the one to ruin our anniversary. It just makes me wonder where he ever got the idea that I needed things. I just need him.

"Thank you," I smiled at him. "Gimme the keys!" I said as I jumped and snatched the keys out of his hands.

"Come on Babe, let's go back to the Bat Cave," Carlos said grinning at me.

We got into to my new car, and I tried to ignore the icky feeling building in my stomach. I smiled at Carlos as I shifted the car into gear and drove us back to the Bat Cave.

Bobby's POV

I got a text from Les when I while I was driving home. He asked me to let him know when I was back and if we could grab a beer.

That guy must be fucking psychic. Either that or he realized Elaina was going to flip her shit when I finally told her the truth. Les warned me to tell her sooner. So did Ranger and Tank.

I was a fucking coward. But, I didn't want her to look at me differently.

Now, not only is she looking at me differently but I don't think she trusts me, either.

My parents weren't exactly welcoming. I knew Elaina wasn't the type they saw me settling down with but I was just hoping that they'd see how happy she made me and let it go.

I walked into my apartment and threw my suitcase in the bedroom. I heard the front door open and slam shut.

"Yo! Bobby!" I head Les call.

I walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen where Les was already opening a beer and then handed one to me as I approached.

"What? You have the guys call you as soon as I walked in?" I asked.

"Pretty much," he said taking a long drink. He reached into his pocket and threw a white stick down on my counter.

"What the fuck is that?" I asked.

"Pick it up," he said with a grin.

I picked up the white plastic stick and flipped it over. Is this a pregnancy test?

"Who's fucking test is this?" I asked.

"My wife's" Les answered he smile getting bigger.

The test was positive. "How is this possible?" I asked.

"I don't have a fucking clue! She hadn't been feeling well so Tanner dared her to take one and it came back positive. I ended up going out today and buying ten more and I had her take all of them and they all look like this!" he said.

"Holy shit! You're going to be a dad! That's fucking awesome!" I said as I grabbed my best friend in for a quick hug.

"Yeah! Just don't tell anyone yet. Alex is all freaked out and wants us to go to the Doctor before we start telling people," he explained.

I sighed mentally. "Les, I think she's right man. I saw the medical reports. The fact that she's testing positive on so many pregnancy tests is a good sign but I think you should tread carefully," I said slowly.

"Yeah, I know. I'm trying not to act excited around her because she's all emotional and fucking woman-crazy right now. I'm trying to be the calm one. I just wanted to be able to tell someone who I could be excited around," he grinned.

"I hope she is then. Congratulations! You're going to be a kick ass dad!" I said, raising my beer to toast my best friend.

"Damn right! I already love cartoons and video games. I just hope it's a boy," He laughed.

"God tends to have a sense of humor," I warned.

"Shh! Man, don't even tempt fate like that!" he said as he punched my arm.

I smiled picturing Les with a daughter. A beautiful girl that was going to give him a heart attack when she started dating and would probably end up married to a guy exactly like him.

"Where's Thumbelina? I wanted to tell her too," Les asked looking around.

I shifted and let out a breath.

"Shit. It went that bad?" he asked. "I always thought most women would want to hear that their future husband is secretly a millionaire. Isn't that like every woman's fantasy?" he said with a shake of his head.

"She wasn't impressed with the money or my family. She was freaked out and pissed off at me for keeping it a secret. She swallowed every insult my family threw at her and kept her cool the entire time. When we got off the plane, there was no screaming or cursing. She just told me she couldn't come back with me and that she needed some space," I admitted.

"That's cold," he said with a shake of his head.

"I really fucked-up. I don't know what I'll do if I lose her," I said.

"You gotta go balls out. You need to go over there tomorrow night and lock yourselves in her apartment and tell her that you will answer any and every question that she has. You need to let her know that there's nothing more important in this world then her and regaining her trust," Les said.

"How desperate have I become that I'm now taking relationship advice from Lester Santos?" I said with a laugh.

"Laugh all you want asshole. My wife is a fucking spy and she's been more honest with me then you've been with Elaina," he taunted.

That stung…mostly because it was true.

"So, if she's not coming back tonight and Alex is already asleep-Do you wanna get drunk?"Les asked.

"Fuck man, I thought you'd never ask," I said as I finished my beer and went into the fridge to grab two more.

Ranger's POV

Steph just stood there when she saw the car. I don't think my Babe has ever been truly speechless but she just stood there with her mouth hanging open.

At first I thought she was just shocked, but I noticed how tense she was on the drive back and though dinner. Finally, over a bottle of wine I just asked her.

"Babe, you've been acting strange all night. What's going on?" I asked.

"Nothing! Dinner was amazing!" she said smiling at me nervously.

I know my woman. Something was up. She also sucks at hiding her emotions.

"Babe," I said.

"Ranger-"she started. She realized her mistake when I raised an eyebrow. If she's calling me Ranger something is definitely going on.

"I'm fine. Maybe I'm just tired," she explained. I'm still not buying it.

"Babe, please," I said. She always caves to the word please. I think it had something to do with Burg manners. It's a dirty card to throw considering I know it always works but I am an opportunist.

She sighed. "I love the car, Carlos. Like, really, really love," she said. "It just feels like a little much for a year anniversary for dating. I mean you already got me jewelry which was amazing and I felt like you were spoiling me. An Aston Martin just makes me feel…kinda gold-digger'ish. I got you a coffee mug for Christ sake! I know you don't care about the money; I just want you to remember that I don't care about the money either. I don't need anything other than you. Does that make sense?" she asked in a nervous voice.

I gently pulled her into my arms. She let out a breath and the snuggled against me.

"I love you. I don't want you to ever feel that way. I'll return the car tomorrow," I whispered.

"Thank you. Please don't be mad!" she said.

"Babe, I'm not mad," I said.

I'm just trying to figure out her logic. Diamonds = good, Car= bad, Paying Rent =bad, Living Together, Not Paying Rent= good. Fucking woman-logic.

I may be amazing at a lot of things but I sure as shit don't always understand her.

I love her. She has changed my world in some ways that I didn't think were possible, but I'd be lying if I said that we don't struggle sometimes.

She gently pulled me off the couch and led me upstairs. She began kissing my neck and rubbing her hips against me. I moaned as I kissed her roughly and began slipping my hands up her shirt to unbuckle her bra.

"It's my turn to thank you for being such an incredible and understanding man," she whispered as she gently bit my lower lip.

This is the only anniversary celebration I needed.

Erik's POV

I was leaving my shrink's office after receiving a gold star for the day for comforting Alex in her time of need. I was very sympathetic at least that's what my shrink told me.

I ran into Elaina in the waiting room just exiting her own appointment.

"Hey Elaina, I take it the trip wasn't a success," I said as we walked out together.

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Brown was a demon on the mats this afternoon. No one wanted to fuck with him. Looked like he was working out some shit," I said.

I could tell by the way her jaw tightened that I was right.

"Where are you parked?" I asked her.

"Technically my car is at RangeMan. A coworker dropped me off. I'm just going to call him to give me a ride back to my apartment. Bobby is supposed to get me later," she explained.

"Come on, I'll take you," I said.

She eyed me for a minute and then finally nodded and followed me to my car.

"Thanks," she said as she climbed in.

"Not a problem. You want to talk about it?" I asked.

"You really want to hear about it?" she challenged.

"Nope. But my shrink says I need to be more open and I need to be a better listener. So since you're one of my few female friends I thought I would practice. What's going on?" I asked.

We rode is silence for a few minutes while Elaina gathered her thoughts.

"If you really want to know, I'm going to need a drink," she said as we pulled up to her complex.

"I'm off till monitor duty at 0700 tomorrow," I said.

"Alright, come on in," she sighed as I parked.

We walked into her apartment. It was a small, clean one bedroom with modern, minimalist decor that somehow made it comfortable. She opened up a bottle of Pinot Noir and gestured for me to sit on the couch.

She poured some wine into our glasses and then joined me on the couch. I'm not much of a wine drinker but in the spirit of trying new things, I guess why the hell not?

"So what the hell happened?" I asked.

Elaina took a deep breath and then launched into one of the strangest stories I've ever heard. Secrets, money, politics, a bat-shit crazy mother in law. All this story needed was a crazy sex scene and this shit would be a fucking soap opera.

"So what's the problem? You're not into the money?" I asked.

"I'm not into my fiancé keeping secrets from me," she snapped.

"Like going to therapy behind their backs?" I challeneged.

"Fuck off!" she snapped. "It's not the same!" she said.

"No, but it's going to be hard to get all high and mighty on his ass if your holding back shit, too," I pointed out.

She gave me a dirty look as she sipped her wine. _Ha! Bitch knows I'm right._

"Let's talk about his mom. She sounds like a giant bitch, but so what? You're not marrying her, you're marrying Bobby. You're telling me that you can put up with someone being bitchy to you like three times a year when you see her? You can't tolerate that for this guy who you love and want to spend the rest of your life with? They're not even that close! You said yourself that they've barely spoken in the past ten years. Why are you letting all this shit get in your head?" I asked.

Elaina paused as she considered my question.

"I don't know. I just felt like I knew him better than anyone before we left and then on the way back it felt like I was with a complete stranger," she said.

"Talk to the man. He's going fucking crazy after one day. The new recruits almost pissed themselves every time he walked by today. I thought one dude was going to pass out when they told him to go see Bobby for a band-aid. I'm not saying that dropping this shit on you in his parent's drive way was smooth. That was fucked up, but is it really worth throwing away what you said was the best thing that has ever happened to you?" I asked her.

She leaned back before answering. "You're right, I need to at least talk to him," she admitted.

"Alright, I'm going to hug you in a non-sexual, non-threatening way. I did it once with Alex this week and I wasn't bad at it," I said.

Elaina threw her head back and laughed as she crawled over to me and I put my arms around her and hugged her to my chest. She gave me a light squeeze back just as I heard her door open.

I turned and looked at Bobby who was standing there with murder in his eyes. I realized how this must look. We were on the couch with two glasses of wine in front of us and we looked like we were cuddling.

"What the fuck are you doing here? And why the fuck do you have your hands on my woman?" he asked dangerously.

Elaina jumped up, "Bobby stop! It's not what you think! We ran into each other and Erik gave me a ride home. We were just hanging out and he was letting me talk and giving me advice," she explained.

"Where the hell did you run into each other?" he asked.

_FUCK. I need to get out of here. _

"I was at my therapist's office. My Doctor and Erik's share a waiting room," she said.

"Why are you going to therapy? Because of this weekend?" he asked.

"No, Bobby. Because of Slater. Erik helped me realize that I wasn't past what happened and helped set me up with a Doctor," she said calmly.

"I more bullied and manipulated her, but she went," I said with a laugh trying to break the tension.

Bobby's gaze slowly turned from Elaina to me. _Oh Shit._

"Erik, thank you for everything, maybe you should go now. We'll talk later this week," she said as she ushered me out past her fuming fiancé.

"Are you sure you don't need me to stay?" I asked quietly. I didn't feel right leaving tiny Elaina with a man that was that angry. I can't imagine Brown ever hurting her but I just felt weird about it.

"I've got this," she whispered back giving me a smile.

She shut the door and I paused and listened. "So Bobby, do you consider it one big secret? Or is it more like one hundred and twenty-five million little ones?" asked Elaina.

_Fuck, I shouldn't have been worried about Elaina. I should be worried about Brown. _


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N - Standard Disclaimer: Everything you recognize is JE's. I make no money.**

**Thanks to my beta VaBabe for being an allstar! I couldn't do this story without you!**

Chapter 11

Alex's POV

I've been in some scary situations in my life, but I don't think I've ever understood what it's like to be truly afraid until now.

I was in the waiting room of the Doctor's office. Les was to my left holding my hand. Lula was to my right. I kinda wanted to hold her hand, too.

Les wants me to be pregnant so badly. He won't say it, but I know how he feels.

Lula understands my fears. She knows I'm terrified that I might not be pregnant but I'm also terrified to find out that I am.

"Alexis Santos?" the nurse called.

Lula gave my hand a quick squeeze and flashed me a reassuring smile. I let out a breath as Les and I stood to follow the nurse, Les never letting go of my hand.

I was weighed, measured, questioned and finally left in a room where I changed into a hospital gown and sat on the padded table. Les stood, leaning up against the wall.

"No matter what, we're going to be fine," he said quietly.

"I know," I whispered back giving him a smile.

A moment later, the doctor came in. "Ah, Mrs. Santos, how have you been feeling?" she said smiling at me.

"Nauseous and tired," I answered.

"Also, her sex drive is low and she's been crazy emotional," Les felt the need to add.

I shot him a shut-the-fuck-up look.

He shifted uncomfortably and mumbled "Just trying to help."

Dr. Harris smiled. "All of that's perfectly normal in your first trimester," she said.

"First trimester…that means we're pregnant," Les said as his eyes widened.

"Yes, all the labs are back. Congratulations! You're pregnant," she said.

I felt like I'd just had a bucket of ice water dumped on me.

I gasped and turned to look at my husband who gave me the most breathtaking smile.

_I'm pregnant. I'm going to be a mom._

I felt my eyes fill up with tears. _Stupid fucking hormones!_ I've cried more in the past week then I've probably cried in my entire life.

It hit me hard. I realized now that I wanted to give Lester a child, more than I've ever wanted anything in my life. I was so happy to be pregnant.

Les came over and kissed my forehead.

"I love you so much," he whispered.

"I'm just going to perform a quick exam and then write you a prescription for prenatal vitamins," Dr. Harris said.

After the exam Les and I exited the office and Lula stood up looking at me. I gave her a nod and a small smile.

Her face lit up as she rushed toward me and hugged me tight. "I'm so happy for you. You're going to be a mom!" she said.

"And I'm going to be a dad!" Les exclaimed as he slung his arm around me. I leaned against my husband and squeezed my friend's hand.

I had so much support. I could do this. People do this every day. I'm just going to treat it like I'm prepping for a mission.

_How hard can it possibly be?_

Ranger's POV

I was on five walking past Brown's office and noticed Elaina working in there. I leaned against the door frame.

"Hey Carlos, Bobby is in the medic's office," she said as she glanced up from her laptop.

"I know. Glad your back. You look a little tired," I said as I walked in and took a seat in front of the desk.

"Bobby and I have been up late the past few nights talking," she explained.

"About the fact that he's secretly a millionaire with a crazy well-connected family?" I guessed.

"Pretty much," she answered.

"Want to talk about it?" I asked.

"Not even a little bit. I feel like that's all I've done since we got back," she answered.

I sat in the chair for another minute.

"Carlos, what's going on? You came in here for a reason," she pointed out.

"I got Steph an Aston Martin for our anniversary. She freaked out," I admitted.

Elaina let out a small laugh. "You actually got her an Aston Martin to celebrate that you guys have been _dating_ for a year? Why would you ever think that was a good idea?" she asked.

"She likes cars. I have the money," I said.

"What is wrong with you? How do you not know that buying her a car is strange? Why are you all so socially awkward?" she moaned as she rubbed her temples.

"I take it, that's wasn't all meant for me," I said suppressing my smile. Brown really pissed her off.

She winced. "Sorry, you didn't deserve that," she said.

"Its fine," I assured her.

"Look, what do you want out of your relationship with Stephanie?" she asked.

I thought about that for a minute. I wanted to share my life with her, which includes my money. I honestly didn't see what the big deal was. I clearly wasn't going to bankrupt myself for her, so what's the problem with a few gifts? Women are so fucking crazy.

"I want to share everything with her," I said.

She gave me a knowing smile and said, "You want a marriage."

She may as well have punched me in the face.

I wasn't the marrying kind, everyone knows that. Steph certainly does.

"I've been married before. It's not for me," I said.

"Bullshit. That wasn't a marriage and you know it. What do you mean marriage isn't for you? Are you against the institution or something?" she asked.

"No, I carry two guns and a knife. I'm not the marrying kind," I explained.

"So does Lester and Bobby; you're going to have to come up with a better reason. Marriage is what you make of it. You and Steph can follow your own rules but if you want to her to feel comfortable accepting cars and money then you may have to talk about marriage," she said.

I leaned back in the chair.

"Why do we need to get married to share finances? Maybe we could talk about a joint checking and savings account," I suggested.

"Go ahead, I'll bet you a hundred dollars that will make her feel like a kept woman," Elaina said.

"Only a hundred? Don't you know your future husband is a millionaire?" I laughed.

Elaina threw the note pad at me.

"Hey! Play nice, Merritt. Are you really angry about the money?" I asked.

"No! It's not the money. I thought I knew this man better than anyone and as we pull up to his parent's house I realized I don't know him at all. Then I found out that you guys knew and I didn't…it just feels like he didn't trust me. How can you marry someone who doesn't trust you?" she sighed.

"You tell him all this shit?" I asked.

"Yes. Like I said, we've talked a lot the past few days," she said.

I mentally cringed. I think I'd rather be back in Afghanistan then spend multiple nights up late talking about my feelings. I'd bet my favorite gun he wasn't getting any at the end of those conversations either.

"Aright, I came in to tell you that Lester called a meeting and we want you there too," I said.

She raised her eyebrows for a moment, then nodded and got up to follow me out.

We walked into a very crowded conference room and Bobby immediately jumped up to give Elaina his chair.

Bobby and I took positions against the wall with Tank and Ram.

Lester was standing up front with a giant shit eating a grin.

Alex was sitting in a chair sipping a ginger ale. She looked pale and tired.

Lester looked around the room, "I think that's everyone. Well, I called this meeting because we're a family and we're about to add one more to the RangeMan crew. Alex is pregnant," Les said.

The room immediately broke into chaos. People cheered and shouted congratulations. Alex was picked up and hugged by all the guys. We all shook Les's hand. I don't think I've ever seen my cousin this happy.

I felt a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach. I was jealous.

I'm happy for Alex and Les and god knows that they deserve this but I kept looking over at Stephanie and I couldn't help but picture her with a pregnant belly.

I shook myself out of that fantasy. I wasn't sure if I really wanted any more children. The last time Steph and I talked about it neither of us were interested in marriage or children right now.

Elaina's words about marriage echoed in my ears. _Shit, I gotta pull it together._

I glanced around the room and noticed Tanner hugging Alex tight and whispering in her ear. Lester was watching them closely and didn't look pleased.

_Looks like I'm not the only one who's jealous._

As we were all about to leave, Alex stood up. "Thank you all for everything. I'm going to be off of field work for awhile but will be helping out around the office. Also, I'm going to ask for your discretion for the next few weeks. We don't want this really getting out till the three month mark. We just knew that everyone here would know something was up if I wasn't in the field," she explained as Les took her hand.

"I thought pregnant women were supposed to glow…she looks like shit," Tank muttered.

"First trimester can be rough with morning sickness and fatigue," Bobby whispered.

"At least Vince can sleep without his headphones for awhile," I mumbled.

Bobby chuckled and Ram snorted.

"Baby Santos- that kid is going to be gorgeous and deadly," Ram said with a shake of his head.

Lester and Alexis Santos are going to be parents…the world should be terrified.

Lula's POV

I was stopping by RangeMan to check on Alex and to pick up Tank. He was going to talk to some more boys who were thinking about enlisting.

Alex was currently in her apartment lying on the bathroom floor. Poor girl has been vomiting nonstop. I thought it was supposed to be in the morning but according to Lester, girl hasn't been able to keep much down.

He was getting nervous so they called the doctor who told them nausea is normal. If she really can't hold anything down, though, he would prescribe an anti-nausea medicine. Alex freaked about putting something into her body that wasn't natural. Lester is currently trying to talk her off the ledge about the medicine, saying it's probably better for the baby to make sure she can keep food down.

It's gonna be a long nine months for those two.

I made my way to my man's office.

Tank sat me down a few nights ago and told me he needs more space from me. I was shocked. We've been dying to have more time together for the past two years and now that we can he needs _space_?

I felt hurt, but I'm trying to be respectful. I love my man and if this is what he needs I will try to give him more alone time. It's hard for me though. When I'm home I just love being around him, I guess it's something I gotta work on.

I've been trying to get all the girls together to go out but there's been some drama with my RangeMan bitches.

Ranger has been working longer hours so Steph is only seeing him at night and has been reluctant to not be home waiting for him. We still meet for lunch twice a week. Steph's my girl; she wouldn't abandon me.

Alex now has plenty of time to spend with me…if she could just stop throwing up. Girl can't be more than ten feet from a bathroom.

Elaina and Bobby have been fighting and are apparently trying to work through their issues. She hasn't looked like she's slept more than a few hours a night. From what Tank told me, Bobby fucked up bad and Elaina's working on forgiving him. According to Tank, that meant long conversations into the night and no sex.

I have to admit it made me giggle a little bit knowing that Lester and Bobby weren't getting any especially since they're the two who are most vocal about how much action they get. My man's mature; he don't pull that shit.

I knocked on Tank's door, "Enter!" he boomed.

"Hey Baby," I started.

"Shit," he said looking up at me.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"I completely forgot. I have to meet a client for dinner tonight. I'm so sorry, Honey," he said as he stood up to hug me.

"No, you're not getting affection after blowing me off," I said as I dodged him.

"I'm sorry! I completely forgot. Let me check the schedule," Tank said as he walked back to his laptop.

Tank then picked up the phone. "Can you come to my office?" he asked in a way that sounded like an order.

To my surprise Erik Tanner poked his head in. "You wanted to see me, boss?" he asked Tank.

"Tanner, I know you're off tonight but I would consider it a personal favor if you would go with Lula to talk to some boys who are thinking about enlisting. Just give them a real idea of what military life is like so they can make an informed decision," Tank said.

"Sure, boss," Erik said easily.

Shit. I don't know if I trust this "new and improved" Tanner act.

"Lula, Sweetheart, I'm sorry. Tanner will talk to your boys and I'll see you at home later," Tank said as he kissed my forehead.

I eyed Tanner warily.

"Hey Lula, do you need me to bring anything?" he asked.

"Nope, just make sure you leave that nasty attitude here," I said.

He shifted uncomfortably. "Listen, I'm sorry I offended you before. I know I've been a dick, but Elaina got me into counseling and I'm working on it. Just give me a chance, okay?" he said.

"Fine, you're driving. If you say one nasty thing to me, you'll be down a testicle by the end of tonight," I threatened.

"Yes, ma'am," Tanner said with a grin.

Tanner drove to my office and I led him to the conference room where five boys were waiting. I introduced him and then sat in the back to watch.

I have to admit Erik Tanner did a hell of a job with these boys. He talked for about 30 minutes and kept the kids completely engaged. Not any easy feat with teenagers.

He took questions for the next 30 minutes and was patient, funny and made the kids feel comfortable. He's not as good as Tank, but no one is.

Once the kids left, I thanked Tanner.

"It's really no problem. Listen, I'm supposed to be working on developing platonic relationships with women. I know Tank said something about having a dinner meeting, do you wanna go grab a pizza or something?" he asked.

I thought about going home. It would be quiet there, too quiet. Then Tank would come home and need time to unwind. Maybe hanging out with Tanner for a few hours wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"I could use a margarita. You wanna go to this Mexican place by RangeMan?" I asked him

"Yeah…thanks," Tanner said giving me a smile.

"You're not gonna be thanking me when you're driving my drunk ass home," I pointed out.

He let out a laugh as we headed towards his car.

Now, I hate to admit it, but I had a damn good time with Erik Tanner. He was funny and didn't hold anything back. I can appreciate that and damn did he love to gossip! He gave me all the dirt on Elaina and Bobby.

Who knew that boy was a millionaire?

Too bad about the terrible family, though, guess you can't win 'em all.

We had a pitcher of margaritas and split fajitas…stupid diet. I avoided all the sour cream considering I was basically drinking sugar and tequila.

Erik and I were having such a good time that I lost track of time. As we were walking out of the restaurant I glanced at the time, "Holy shit! It's after midnight!" I exclaimed.

"What? Got a curfew?" he asked.

"No! I just don't usually stay out this late, especially without calling," I explained.

"Well, let's get you home so I don't end up being called to the mats tomorrow," he said as he opened my car door. When did he become such a gentleman?

Erik dropped me off and even offered to walk me in and explain to Tank why I was late. That was nice but Tank and I trust each other, this ain't no thing.

I walked into the house and Tank immediately rushed into the hallway.

"Lula! Where the hell were you? I've been so worried!" Tank said as he rushed towards me.

"Hey, Honey," I may have slurred.

"Are you drunk?" he asked me as he took me in his arms.

"Maybe a little. But that means you're gettin' lucky so you shouldn't complain," I giggled as I kissed his neck.

"Did you go out with some of the girls from work?" he asked.

"No, Erik and I went out for margaritas after he spoke to the boys. He's a lot of fun when he's not being such a dick," I said as I continued kissing my man's neck.

I felt Tank freeze. "Honey?" I asked.

"It was just you and Tanner out?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, so?"

"I don't like you going out on dates with other men," he said.

"Well, it's a good thing it wasn't a date then," I responded.

"Don't you think its…inappropriate?" he asked.

"No! I don't think it's inappropriate! Weren't you the one that told me I have to find other things to do because you need some space?" I said angrily.

"So you're trying to punish me? Is that it?" he said. I could tell he was losing his temper which is a rare occurrence for Tank.

"No! You had a client dinner and I went out for drinks with a new friend who knows I'm taken! Why are you turning this into something that it isn't?" I shouted.

We stood there glaring at each other for a moment.

Tank didn't respond. He simply stormed up the stairs and came down a few moments later wearing gym clothes and went for a run.

_Does that mean I won?_

Lester's POV

It's been three weeks, five days, eleven hours and forty-seven minutes since I last had sex.

I'm going out of my mind. _Is god punishing me?_

I have the most incredible woman for my wife and she's a hell cat in the bedroom. Fuck. She was the best I've ever had and has a sex drive like a sixteen year old boy. She's fucking perfect and now she's pregnant with my child. I was the luckiest man in the world…at least that's what I thought.

Something is happening to my gorgeous nympho wife. She has no interest in sex anymore. Well, to be fair, all she's doing is sleeping, crying or puking.

She tried going down on me last week and stopped within thirty seconds to race to the bathroom and empty her stomach. I chased after her and held her hair while I rubbed her back. I love her and I hate seeing her like this. The doctor said the morning sickness usually gets better by the second trimester.

I'm not sure how much longer I can last. There has been another issue. I haven't even been able to…"take care of myself" in the past few weeks either.

As soon as I walk in the door, she's on top of me. She's been stressed and needs my constant attention. She'll pull me onto the couch and just lie in my arms or I'm in the bathroom sitting on the floor while she's sick. She can't stand being alone. If I'm in the apartment she wants to be with me. I can barely take a piss without her next to me. Don't get me wrong, I love being with my wife. I just currently have "other needs" which I need to take care of and I feel weird telling her I need to jerk off.

Alex and I moved out of our townhouse because we're having the entire upstairs redone and now they're adding a nursery, so that's not an option. I even tried just getting it done in my office but I can't seem to go two minutes without someone banging on my door.

I'm dying and it's getting embarrassing.

I'm currently sitting in the conference room with my partners, trying to control my dick but all I can think about is Alex naked in the shower this morning. We always shower together, but our showers used to include sex. Now it's just showering and another time I can't be alone.

Tank was currently bitching about how Lula went out with Tanner last night.

"What is with that dude? He's always coming by to check on Alex and he's constantly hugging her," I complained.

"He was over Elaina's the first night that we talked. I walked in and saw that they had been drinking wine and he had his fucking arms around her. I wanted to kill him and then she started on how good of a friend he is," growled Bobby.

"Shit," said Ranger.

"What? Is he spending time with Bombshell?" I asked.

"He is now. I assigned him and Steph as partners since Alex was off field duty. Fuck, I wish I knew this shit earlier," Ranger said.

"Switch him," Tank said.

"Can't. Already told Steph. She'll get suspicious and then she'll get pissed if she finds out the truth," he said.

"That sucks," I said as I squirmed in my chair trying to adjust my ever present erection.

"Dude, what the fuck is wrong with you? Can't you keep your hands off your dick for five minutes?" Bobby said.

"Fuck man! I can't help it. I'm not getting any right now!" I explained.

"Well, neither am I! Fucking take care of business, asshole," Bobby said.

"I can't! I don't get a goddamn minute to myself. How do you do it?" I asked Bobby.

"What do you mean? Elaina told me to 'fuck myself' and then told me not to use her expensive hand lotion this time," Bobby said.

Tank snorted.

Ranger smirked and shook his head.

"Well, Alex and I haven't had the 'all dudes jerk off' conversation yet and she's so goddamn sensitive about everything now. I can't bring it up!" I said.

The guys then threw out suggestions I've clearly already thought of like the shower or my townhouse.

"You know what I need? I just need to borrow someone's house for like five minutes," I begged.

"Fuck off," said Tank. "You come near my house in that state and I'll fucking shoot you," he finished.

"Ranger! We're blood!" I pleaded.

"No. I'm changing the locks after this conversation. Don't even fucking think about it," he said.

"Bobby! Please. PLEASE. You were the best man at my wedding! You swore to do anything and everything to support my marriage; this is one of those times!" I exclaimed.

"You have to be fucking kidding me," he said as he stared at me.

"Elaina works a lot. I will be in and out before you know it. Please man, I'm calling in every favor that you've ever owed me. I will owe you my life. PLEASE. I'm DYING," I pleaded.

"Fuck! You really owe me! Tomorrow, Elaina has meetings all day and you better clean up everything. I don't even want to think about what you'll leave behind!" he warned.

"I promise! You won't even know that I was there!" I promised.

He nodded grimly.

_Oh thank god! I need to just hold on for another day! _

The things we do for love.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: This is JE's world and anything you recognize she owns and makes crazy money from.**

**VaBabe has been an amazing beta, I couldn't do this without you!**

Chapter 12

Bobby's POV

I woke up early, way before the alarm was supposed to go off, and rolled over to look at my sleeping fiancé. She was beautiful. She looks so angelic and fragile when she's sleeping. She wasn't exactly acting fragile and angelic these days, though. She was PISSED.

We've been having long discussions every night since we've gotten back. We've probably only gotten a few hours of sleep a night. I'm exhausted and I'm really tired of jerking off. I looked over at Elaina, who sleeps in a tank top and panties. Her tank top was pushed up exposing her stomach and she had fallen asleep without covers so I found myself staring at the curve of her hips as she lay on her side.

_Shit. This sucks._

I laid back and tried to think about anything else but Elaina lying next to me.

We seemed to be in a much better place so all this talking might actually be helping. Elaina suggested that I come to a therapy appointment with her. I told her I would do anything she needed if this was going to help get her past all those issues over what happened with Slater.

Then she explained that she didn't want me to come to talk about Slater, she wanted me to come to talk about our issues. I balked. We weren't even married and we were already going to be in counseling? That seems like a bad omen.

She was annoyed that I was quick to dismiss therapy. She tried to point out how well Erik Tanner was doing in therapy and then I flew off the handle remembering the scene of her in his arms. We always start out having productive discussions but end up either yelling or not speaking to each other.

I'm tired of it. I miss my woman.

I turned and looked at her again. _Fuck it._ She might tell me to stop or slap me but I want her to know how much I miss us.

I crawled over her body, supporting myself on my hands as I began kissing her neck. She let out a soft sigh and to my surprise ran her hands up my back encouraging me. This was definitely progress.

I began kissing her chest and pulled down her tank top. She arched her back as she let out a moan.

My body was ready to go. I took a breath to try and calm myself to ensure that I could take care of her before I lost it. I wanted her to enjoy our make-up sex. Hopefully, it would encourage her to agree to more of it.

And I love her and all that.

I continued kissing her chest as I ran my hand down and slipped it into her panties. Then I touched her and realized she was ready as I was. She moved against my hand sighing as her eyes finally opened to meet mine.

I lowered my mouth to her's and kissed her soft lips. She pulled me close as I continued to please her. I knew she was getting close.

She reached into my boxers and we were about to come together when she stopped.

"Come to therapy with me. Please," she breathed.

_FUCK! Is she serious, right now?_

I was right up against her but she wasn't letting me enter. She wanted an answer.

"What are you doing to me?" I groaned.

"I'm doing whatever it takes to make us work. I love you and I'm going to fight for us," she whispered as she began rubbing herself against me.

_Holy shit, she feels good._

"Fuck! You win, I'll do whatever you want," I said. I would too. I couldn't think straight, she could've asked me to jump off a cliff at this point and I would've agreed.

"Then I want you to fuck me hard," she said as she bit my bottom lip.

_Holy Fuck!_

That was my last coherent thought as I thrust inside of her and got completely lost in the feel of her wrapped tightly around me.

Steph's POV

We finished our morning workouts, showered and were eating breakfast. I could tell Carlos was trying to think about how to say something. He tends to get even quieter than normal and just stares at me. I think he's searching for the right words or the right tone. I like to pretend not to notice to give him some time to gather his thoughts.

"Babe," he finally started.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"What do you think about combining finances?" he asked.

_Huh? Why would we combine finances?_

"Is there a reason we would need to combine finances?" I asked.

"Not a reason. I just figured it's the next step," he said.

"Really? I thought the next step was like a puppy and I'm not sure I want that kind of responsibility. I just figured you could adopt Rex and we could co-parent the hamster. That seems like the next step," I said gesturing to the hamster cage.

"Babe, I'm clearly Rex's dad," he said giving me a grin.

"You think that people who've been together for only a year start combining their money? It kinda feels a little excessive, especially considering the differences in our salaries," I said uneasily.

"Plenty of couples have differences in salaries Babe," he said.

"Yeah, but I don't think many couples combine finances until they get married," I explained.

"Are you interested in marriage?" he asked quickly.

_What the fuck is going on? _

"Marriage? We talked about marriage a few months ago and I thought we decided it was too soon to have this discussion," I said.

_Where is all this coming from? He told me three months ago that he's wasn't sure he would ever want to get married again. _

"Is everything okay? You're not sick or going on some dangerous mission or something are you?" I asked.

"No, Babe. I just want us to start thinking about putting marriage back on the table…as an option," he said.

"You're saying you're interested in marriage now?" I asked feeling really confused.

"I'm saying I'm interested in talking about the possibility of putting marriage back on the table now," he said.

_Yeah, because that makes sense._

"Okay," I said slowly. "I'll agree to us discussing the possibility of putting marriage back on the table," I said.

"Babe," he said giving me a smile, it was an agreement.

"Alright, I gotta go meet Erik," I said as I stood up and put my dishes in the dishwasher. I kissed Carlos goodbye and he said he'd try to come upstairs early so we could have some time together.

I left, not sure what the hell I just agreed too.

XXXXXXXXX

Working with Erik was actually going really well. He was friendly but he still insisted on taking the lead. I haven't had as much training as these guys so they all did this until they had an accurate assessment of my skills. Once they knew what I was capable of they would pick and choose which skip apprehensions I could take the lead on.

Erik and I met up with Lula for lunch. She began asking me about Batman so I explained our weird-ass conversation from this morning.

"Next step? I thought the next step was going on vacation together," Erik said.

"See! That's reasonable! Combining finances is just weird," I said.

"It does seem a little fast, and now he's talking marriage. Something is up with Batman," Lula said with a head shake.

I agreed. Ranger has been acting weird lately. Why is marriage suddenly a possibility of being put back on the table as an option?

AND WHAT THE HELL DOES A **POSSIBILITY OF BEING PUT BACK ON THE TABLE AS AN OPTION** MEAN?

Men are insane.

We continued eating our salads and started gossiping. Erik was really good at gossiping. It was kinda awesome. He was telling us that Bobby must have finally gotten laid. I asked him how he knew this and he said he could tell when they were sparing this morning that Bobby was much less angry. Erik claims there's only one thing that could've changed his mood that dramatically.

"What about Les?" asked Lula.

"No way! Dude is still twitchy as fuck. Plus, Alex and I talk all the time and she was telling me that she's still constantly sick. Being pregnant looks like it blows," Tanner said.

Lula and I could do nothing but agree. It really did look sucky. I thought you were supposed to glow?

We continued gossiping, talking about Woody's date and Vince's recent hook-up, when Tanner's phone went off.

"Holy shit," he said looking at the phone. "The DNA results are in. Elaina's on her way to RangeMan now. We gotta go meet her!" he said.

"Are you sure you want us to come?" I asked. This is a really personal thing. I'm not sure we should be present.

"Definitely. I want all of you there. This would've never happened without you. I just texted Elaina back and asked her to meet us at Alex's place. I want her there and I'm not sure she's up to leaving her place yet," he said.

We cleaned up quickly and sped back to RangeMan. I really hoped Elaina was bringing good news, I didn't know if I wanted to witness someone finding out that their child isn't actually theirs.

Elaina's POV

I had the envelope next to me with the DNA test results as I drove back to RangeMan. My heart was beating so fast. I couldn't believe how invested I was in these results. This isn't normally my style; I'm a lawyer so I try to keep an emotional distance about this kind of thing.

Erik Tanner may be a giant pain in the ass but he's a good man and I didn't want to see him get hurt. I cancelled all my afternoon meetings once Shover told me the results were in so I could personally hand them to Erik.

I told myself, if it was good news I would surprise Bobby so we could continue our make-up session from this morning.

I know what I did wasn't playing fair. It wasn't something I planned, but I had the opportunity and couples' counseling was just too important.

I was so happy that even after we finished he still told me to set up the appointment. He loves me and I know he'll do this for me. I knew we could get through this and it finally felt like we're coming out the other side.

I pulled up to RangeMan and parked my car. I calmed myself as I walked to Alex and Les's apartment. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

Alex swung the door open and ushered me in. I quickly looked her up and down. She looked like shit.

Erik was sitting on the couch between Lula and Stephanie. His face was stony and he jumped up when I walked into the room.

"Did you look?" he asked.

I shook my head. "I wouldn't do that," I explained.

Alex put her hand on Erik's shoulder. With trembling hands Erik opened the envelope and pulled out the tests results. I think every one of us held our breaths.

"He's mine," he whispered. "He's mine!" he shouted looking up with tears of joy in his eyes. Alex launched herself at Erik who caught her easily and held her tight.

"I'm so happy for you!" she said as her own tears started.

Stephanie and Lula each hugged and kissed Erik while he thanked them for their support. They were both crying as well.

"Elaina, I don't know if I'll ever have the words to thank you," he said.

"Shut-up," I said as I held out my arms.

He laughed and hugged me.

"I have some things to finish up. I'll leave you to celebrate," I said and I said my goodbyes.

I closed the door behind me then quickly blinked back my tears. _Shit, that was close. I almost cried in front of them!_

I breathed out getting control of myself and headed back down the hall to my apartment. I walked in and put down my things.

Now I can at least get ready to celebrate with Bobby. He should be back in an hour. I headed back towards the bedroom to pick out some lingerie when I heard a noise.

I had no idea what it was; I stopped and listened quietly. It was coming from the guest room. _Was Bobby back early?_

I let my hair down and unbuttoned a few buttons on my shirt, just in case.

I opened the door quietly expecting Bobby but instead I saw…

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Bobby's POV

My mind kept flashing back to my morning with Elaina. We had sex twice before I left for my workout and then she joined me in the shower once I got back. I felt like we're finally back on track and she's forgiving me.

I'm not excited about seeing a therapist but I know that Elaina wants too and if it will make her feel more comfortable in our relationship, I'm willing to do it. I'm probably just not going to share with Les how my fiancé already has my balls in a jar and is dragging me to fucking couples counseling.

I was lost in thought in the medic office when the phone rang.

"Brown," I answered.

"Yo, it's Ram. I think Elaina just screamed from your apartment. I wasn't sure if Les planted another fake spider but I'm on my way to check," he said.

_Elaina's home? Apartment…Les. FUCK!_

"Don't go in! I'll be right there!" I shouted and then slammed down the phone.

_FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! HOLY SHIT! FUCK!_

I sprinted up the stairs and crashed onto four and sprinted to my apartment. I threw open the door to find Elaina screaming at Les.

"WHAT THE FUCK WERE YOU DOING!" she screamed.

"It's not what you think!" Les said trying to explain.

"So you weren't jerking off in our apartment!" she shouted.

"Okay, I was. But I can explain. Bobby, back me up here!" he said looking at me in desperation.

_Oh holy shit. I'm so fucked._

Elaina turned and looked at me. "You knew that he was doing _that_ in here?" she asked dangerously.

"Baby, we can explain. Will you please just have a seat and calm down? Les, get her a glass of wine," I suggested.

"Not until you wash your hands!" she screeched at him.

_Oh I'm never getting laid again. _

I guided Elaina to the living room while I heard the sink running and then Lester reappeared with a very full glass of wine and handed it to Elaina who was looking irate.

"So you're now going to try to tell me there was a reasonable explanation for Lester jerking off in our apartment?" she asked.

"Okay. Baby, Alex has been having a very rough pregnancy and she and Lester have been unable to be intimate because of her issues with nausea and fatigue," I said calmly.

"That does not explain why Lester is jerking off in our place instead of his own!" she pointed out.

Lester winced. "Thumbelina, I'm not sure Alex is as understanding as you are about the need to…self-pleasure," he said slowly.

"Lester, that is not my problem! You should've just talked to your wife! And what the hell do you mean, I'm understanding?" she asked.

"Bobby said that you know that he does it, so we figured you would be more okay with it than other people," Les explained.

"Bobby is my future husband and this is _our_ home. He can jerk off in here, you cannot! How would you feel if you walked into your apartment and I was lying on your couch using my vibrator?" she asked.

"Holy fuck, that's hot," Les mumbled wide eyed.

Something in Elaina snapped and she launched herself at Les. I quickly caught her in my arms, pulling her back just before she could slap Lester.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! It just slipped out! Fuck! I'm a mess! Elaina, I'm sorry," Les begged.

"Lester, get the fuck out and go talk to your goddamn wife about your problem. I don't want to ever think about this again and if you even think about trying something like this again I will tell Alex and she will break your dick off," Elaina warned.

Lester nodded, apologized again and slipped out.

I went to put my arms around her. "Don't!" she said. "I feel dirty and want to gouge out my own eyes," she said as she shoved me away.

"Why the hell would you agree to let one of your friends use our place so he can jerk off? This isn't normal!" she pointed out.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. Is there anything I can do?" I asked.

"Unless you can make me un-see Lester masturbating, no!" she snapped as she picked up her wine and took a giant swig.

Lester's POV

_Holy shit, I fucked up and now Bobby's going to pay. I guess it's a good thing that he got some today because I think I hear Elaina locking her chastity belt._

The worst part is she walked in just as I was getting started. After all that, I still haven't had my release. I'm literally going insane, which was proven when I told Elaina that the thought of her masturbating on my couch was hot. If Bobby wasn't there Thumbelina would've killed me. I'm sure of it.

She's right though. I just need to tell Alex how I feel.

I walked into my apartment and into the living room. Alex was curled up on the couch with an afghan thrown over her legs. Her head was resting on Erik Tanner's shoulder with his arm lazily slung around her.

I felt my blood pressure sky rocket. I've had a shitty day, my balls looked like two smurfs wrestling and now this asshole was on my couch with his feet on my coffee table, cuddling with _my_ wife.

"Hey Santos, Alex wasn't feeling well when I stopped by and I didn't want to leave her alone. She just fell asleep," Tanner said easily.

"I'm here now. You can go," I said tightly.

He nodded and gently moved Alex, who woke up. "Hmm, where you going?" she asked sleepily.

"Husband's home, Killer; take care of yourself and the little one. Hope you feel better," he said as he kissed her forehead.

"Thanks for staying with me. Congratulations, Erik," she said giving him a smile.

Erik smiled back and then left, punching me playfully in the arm. I suppressed the urge to break his neck as I turned and looked at my wife.

She looked pale, thin, and tired. I sat down on the couch next to her and she immediately snuggled up to me.

"Alex, I need to talk to you about something," I said.

"Are you okay?" she asked sitting up.

"I know that this pregnancy has been hard on you but I don't think you realize how hard it's been on me," I started.

Her brow furrowed but she said nothing so I kept going.

"You're always either sick or too tired. We haven't had sex in weeks and a man has needs," I said firmly.

Alex's face was now hardening and her jaw was tight. _Shit, I need to explain this better._

"I'm not asking you for sex if you don't feel like it. I'm just saying I need to have some alone time to handle myself. I just think you've been really wrapped up in what you need since we found out you were pregnant that you haven't considered my needs. It hasn't been easy for me the past few weeks," I explained.

Her eyes flashed with anger. Her body was practically vibrating with it.

"Well, _Darling,_ I am so sorry that the fatigue and constant vomiting which I've gotten from carrying your child is inconveniencing you. I must be such a selfish bitch for expecting my husband to be there for me and not servicing him enough for his trouble," she spat.

She got up and walked to the bathroom then came back with a bottle of lotion in her hand.

"You're a self-centered asshole. You want to jerk off? Here!" she said throwing the bottle of lotion at me. I was so shocked that I let it hit me in the forehead.

"Go take care of yourself and then get the fuck out! I can't even stand to look at you right now!" she shouted. She turned away from me and stormed into the bedroom slamming the door.

"Fuck!" I shouted. _Why can't I do anything right?_

I wish I could say I then stormed out but instead I went to the bathroom and took care of business… three times before leaving.

I was now standing outside a familiar door when it hit me…I JUST TOLD MY PREGNANT WIFE THAT HER PREGNANCY WAS TOO HARD ON _ME_.

_What the fuck is wrong with me? _

It wasn't my fault! My brain was deprived of oxygen! The only thing I've been able to think about has been my dick! That head temporarily took over and now my wife has kicked me out.

I groaned and banged on Bobby's door.

The door opened and Elaina stood there in her pajamas with a glass of wine in hand. She took in my pained expression and the egg growing on my forehead from the bottle of lotion.

She ran a hand over her face. "Seriously?" she asked.

"Alex kicked me out. Can I stay in your guest bedroom? I asked.

Elaina seemed at a loss for words but she opened up the door and may have even shot me a sympathetic look. _Looks like the wine was working its magic._

Bobby was in the living room drinking a beer. Elaina grabbed me one then let me sit down.

"What the hell happened to your forehead?" Bobby asked.

"I may have told Alex that she hasn't been considerate of my needs and how hard this pregnancy has been on me," I said. "She threw a bottle of lotion at my head and told me to take care of it then to get out," I admitted.

Bobby froze and Elaina looked at me in shock.

"What is wrong with you?" she asked shaking her head in disbelief.

"Temporary insanity! It's not my fault! I haven't cum in weeks!" I pleaded.

Elaina turned to Bobby, "I hate living here. You're all idiots," she said as she got up and walked into the bedroom and shut the door.

Bobby groaned.

"You told your pregnant wife, who's been vomiting non-stop, she needed to be more considerate of your needs?" Bobby asked. "You're lucky to be alive," he said.

"I'm a fucking idiot. How do I make this right?" I asked.

"I have no idea. I'm still trying to dig myself out of my own hole. How do Tank and Ranger make this look so goddamn easy?" Bobby asked.

"Shit. It's not easy; they're just better at hiding it," I said with a laugh.

We had a few more beers and then there was a knock on the door. Bobby looked at me and got up to answer it.

He came back with Alex under his arm. Her eyes were red from crying and she looked green.

"Angel! Are you sick again?" I asked rushing towards her.

"I shouldn't have kicked you out! You were being a douche but I shouldn't have done that," she said as her eyes filled up with tears.

I felt my heart breaking. She was going through so much right now, and I was worried about my dick. I was such a…well, dick.

"I'm so sorry. I take back everything I said. Please, let me take you home and take care of you. I love you, I love being there for you and I love that you're pregnant," I said quietly.

"Why wouldn't you just tell me you needed five minutes alone?" she asked.

"I'm an idiot. I should have. Please let me come back and take care of you. I want to be there for you," I said as I took my wife into my arms. She felt so fragile right now.

She nodded. "Okay, but you're still an asshole," she sniffled.

"I know," I agreed as I gently led my wife out of Bobby's apartment.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: JE own everything that you recognize. I make no money.**

**Special thanks to my Beta VaBabe. You're the best!**

**Sorry for the delay in posting, both VaBabe and I have been visiting family. We both have some craziness coming up in the next month, so our posting is going to be done once a week. Thanks for your patience and understanding and as always thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I love reading them and take every comment into consideration!**

Chapter 13

Tank's POV

Lula and I rarely fight. We're usually always on the same page. It's so rare that we even have minor disagreements, but this seems to be one issue that we can't come to an agreement on.

I think it's completely inappropriate for Lula to go out for dinner and drinks alone with another man.

Don't get me wrong, if someone else was there it wouldn't have bothered me. If they went out for lunch it wouldn't have bothered me. But they went on a date. I would never go to dinner alone with another woman.

Lula's not bending. She says that she can see whoever she wants whenever she wants and if I don't trust her by now then it's my issue. I trust my woman, I just think it's wrong. The more I try to explain, the angrier Lula gets.

Apparently, I really set her off when I told her I wanted space. Now, it's all about her trying new things and making plans... without me. I know I asked for space and I still want it, just not this much.

She's signed up for yoga classes with Alex and Tanner. Why the fuck is Tanner going to yoga with my girlfriend and Lester's wife? Lula thinks he's so sweet supporting Alex since she's having such a rough time with her pregnancy. I want to know what the fuck this guy's angle is. He's all over Alex. He's always stopping by to check if she needs anything or to just spend time with her. I know how much she appreciates it. I also know Lester fucking hates it.

Now, Tanner's volunteered to help Lula at her office talking to troubled youth and boys who are considering enlisting. Steph and Tanner have also been hanging out quite a bit since they've became partners. I heard he went for lunch at her parents' house. He even got Elaina on his side! God knows how he did that!

I know we wanted him to adjust his attitude, but I never knew that the "New Tanner" would have our women fawning all over him. It's annoying as fuck.

I was in my office seething about the latest "discussion" I had with Lula about the yoga when I realized Steph was standing in my doorway.

"Little Girl! What can I do for you?" I asked.

I loved when Steph stopped by. She usually asked for my advice about Ranger but I really enjoyed our talks. I don't think she realizes they usually help me as much as they help her.

Steph walked into my office and sat in a chair as I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Do you and Lula ever talk about marriage?" she asked.

I felt my eyebrows rise at her question. _This was interesting._

"We have. We both decided we like idea of being together without any legal obligations. Lula's not a huge fan of cops and I guess that has extended somewhat to the law in general. It makes her uncomfortable and I don't really care either way, as long as we're committed," I explained.

"Did you guys combine finances?" she asked, her brow wrinkling.

"We have a joint savings. We've also set up retirement accounts which we're both contributing to each other's since I make more money. We have separate checking but Lula pays for the groceries and household things while I pay for the house and utilities. Why do you ask?" I asked.

"Ranger thinks we should combine finances. When I pointed out that it was too early and most people don't start combining finances until their married, he asked me what I thought about marriage," she said.

"What do you think about marriage?" I asked. I like to play devil's advocate, it's my favorite game.

"I was married and it was terrible experience. I know Ranger is completely different from my ex but he's never been interested in marriage and now all of a sudden he's at least talking about the possibility of it? I'm not sure how I feel about it," she explained.

"Well, that seems like step one, figuring out how you feel about it. Ranger loves you. If you're really uncomfortable with marriage, he won't pressure you," I pointed out.

"I know. I just didn't think it was even on the table. Ranger has never been interested in marriage before. I actually thought he was against the whole idea of it. Do you think Les and Bobby are starting to get to him?" she asked.

I laughed. "They're getting to all of us! But I think Ranger was already leaning in that direction and now that he's seeing Bobby and Lester…well, that's just proof that we can have the family life as well as the mercenary life," I said.

"I know for a fact that Alex and Les _and_ Elaina and Bobby have been fighting," she countered.

"God love them, but that's because Bobby and Lester are both fucking idiots. Ranger and I have been through the gauntlet before settling down with you and Lula. Bobby and Lester never handled emotions before; they handled pussy." I explained. I watched Steph slightly wince at the offending word. We've become so close I sometimes forget to watch my language.

I shot her an apologetic look and continued. "They hooked-up a lot but never really got to know and love the women that they were with until they dove into their full-on relationships. Then they hit the fast forward button. Lula and I knew each other for almost a year before we started dating and now have been together for two years. You and Ranger were dancing around each other for almost two years before committing. Alex and Les jumped into marriage after a few months and Bobby and Elaina have barely been together nine months and now they're planning they're wedding. I know Lula better than anyone. Do you feel the same way about Ranger?" I asked.

"I do. I think he knows me better then my ex-husband ever did," she agreed.

"I've met your ex. The woman at Tasty Pastry knows you better then that prick," I pointed out.

Steph let out a laugh and rubbed her eyes. "I know you're right, but that still hurts," she sighed.

"Take your time Little Girl. Figure out what you want," I suggested.

She paused and lay her head back for a moment, thinking.

"Are you going to go to yoga with Lula, Alex and Erik?" she asked changing the subject.

"No, I'm not. Are you?" I asked.

"No. Elaina and I signed up for kick-boxing," she said.

"_Elaina _is kick-boxing?" I asked. Elaina loves to workout, she takes her health very seriously. Considering she works with chronically ill patients, it's understandable. Elaina runs, does Pilates, takes spin classes, she does not hit things. She hates even the most basic self defense lessons that Bobby has forced on her.

"Yeah, apparently she has some aggression she wants to work out. I suggested sparing with Bobby but she refused," Steph said with a smile.

"Shit. She's not letting him off easy," I said.

"Nope. She's dragging him to couples' counseling," Steph said.

"Bobby? Bobby Brown is willingly going to couples' counseling?" I asked incredulously. Bobby is a damn good medic but he's definitely not a therapy type of guy. Shit, the man must be desperate.

"I'm not saying he's willing," Steph laughed.

Lester and Bobby confessed to Ranger and me what Elaina walked in on last week. I'm guessing Bobby can't say shit since he let Lester use their home as his own personal whack off palace. Lula would've shot me.

"Are Lula and you still arguing?" Steph asked.

I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. "We just don't agree. I don't think my woman should be going to dinner one-on-one with a man. She's in a relationship. It's inappropriate," I said.

"Tank, let me just once give you a piece of advice," Steph suggested.

I raised my eyebrows at her, signaling her to continue.

"Get over it! Who care if she goes to dinner with a man? Do you trust her?" she asked.

"Of course! Its other men I don't trust," I explained.

"Oh my god! That's such a bullshit reason! Lula's not going to be talked, coerced or tricked into hooking up with another man. Unless you're worried about her male friends forcing themselves on her…what's the problem? Do you think Erik Tanner would rape or sexually assault Lula?" she asked.

"No! I don't think he's a rapist!" I exclaimed.

"Then calm the hell down and let the woman live her life. You said you needed space and she gave it to you. She needs to branch out and establish her own social life without you so you can get the space you need. What you're doing is unfair. You can't tell her that you need space and then get pissy when she's not at home waiting for you," Steph said.

"I don't get _pissy_," I protested.

Steph rolled her eyes.

I let out a sigh as I sat sat back in my chair and ran my hand over my head. I hate that she's right. I glanced back over at Steph and who was now grinning at me.

"Is this what it feels like?"she asked.

I looked at her quizzically.

"I know I'm right and so do you. This must be how you always feel when you talk to me. It's nice; I could get used to it," she smirked.

I laughed and stood up. She walked around my desk and we hugged as I kissed her hair.

"You're a giant pain in the ass. You know that right?" I asked her.

"I do, Tank. I really do," she answered back.

Alex's POV

A parasite has taken over.

I always have control.

I have control over my body. I know how far and how fast I can run. I know how long I can hold my breath under water. I can control my breathing and heart rate in stressful situations. I know how to handle adrenaline crashes after battle. My body is a finely tuned machine.

Or should I say it _was _a finely tuned machine?

A parasite has taken over.

I'm exhausted. It's like constantly having the flu without any other symptoms besides fatigue. I have trouble getting out of bed and once I stand up I'm usually running to the bathroom to vomit. Everything makes me nauseous. _Chewing_ makes me nauseous. And the smell! Everything smells! I've been changing out Les' and my toothbrush every week because they start to smell and it makes me sick.

What's worse is that I'm still waiting for that overwhelming feeling of love that I'm supposed to feel for my parasite. Right now, I look at it as a mission to keep this thing alive and healthy no matter the physical or emotional cost. But I don't love it the way I think I'm supposed too. When does that happen?

Les talks to my belly every day and I'm barely even showing! He's so in love with my parasite and my guilt for not feeling the same overwhelms me sometimes. It should be _me _talking to my stomach, but every time I try I just feel ridiculous.

I can't seem to get a handle on my emotions either. I'm not sure if it's the stress of being pregnant or the hormones. I've never been very emotional; it's something that's just not allowed as a CIA agent. Les has helped me open up to my emotions more than I ever thought possible. I think he may be regretting that now. The flood gates have been open and I can't seem to shut them.

I've become needy. I shudder at the thought, but it's the truth. I need my husband. I'm alone in the apartment a lot of the day and as soon as he walks in I need to feel his arms around me. I need him to hold me and tell me he loves me and that we can get through this. I know I haven't been in the mood to have sex the past few weeks but I thought he understood me.

I've never lost my temper with Lester. I never thought I could, but when he came in and talked to me about how hard this pregnancy was on him I wanted to leap across the couch and choke the life out of him. I've been vomiting, exhausted, nauseous, lonely and crazy-emotional. I can no longer accept government contracts and I can't work in the field. Right now I'm miserable and the only thing he seems to be concerned with is his cock.

I kicked him out of the apartment and then went into the bedroom and cried for two hours. I didn't know that was physically possible to cry for that long. Then the nausea hit. I was lying in our bed feeling lonely and miserable. I realized the only thing I wanted to do right then was lie in my husband's arms. I started to think that I may have overreacted. He was acting like a complete prick but I shouldn't have kicked him out. That was never going to solve our problems.

I know Les and I knew he'd be at Bobby's. I trudged over to Bobby's and knocked on the door. Bobby threw open the door and took in my red eyes and mussed hair.

"Shit. Come here," he said as he pulled me into his arms for a hug while I sniffled. "He's a goddamn mess. He acted like a complete prick but he loves you and is so excited that you're pregnant. He didn't mean it," Bobby whispered.

"Then why did he say it?" I asked.

"Because he's an idiot. We're all idiots according to Elaina and I think she might be right," he laughed. He guided me into his apartment and led me to Les.

"Angel! Are you sick again?" he asked rushing towards me. I took a look at the panic in his face and I knew we were going to be alright. He immediately apologized and I started to feel better.

Les took me back to our place and he climbed into bed with me and held me close to his chest. He rubbed my back and whispered in Spanish how much he loves me and how much he already loves our child. He kept telling me how sorry he was as he placed soft kisses on my face.

I fell asleep clinging to him for dear life.

Les and I started getting along better once he felt comfortable talking about his need to masturbate. The personality change was a shocking switch. He was happier, more loving and kinder once he had his "release." Men are so strange.

Les has been really busy and I've been lucky to have Erik as a friend. Erik has been so supportive during my pregnancy. He stops by every day to check on me. He wants to hear all about my symptoms. He holds my hair when I'm sick and lets me fall asleep on his shoulder.

I'm working really hard to stay in shape during the pregnancy and have continued running. It's not pleasant that I have to keep a trash can by the treadmill so I can get sick. I try to go in the afternoon when the gym's empty. If Erik's around he'll run on the treadmill next to me and doesn't seem to mind if I have to stop to throw up. I think most of the other guys would freak out.

Erik told me that he missed out on a lot of his ex's pregnancy. He likes being around me to do the things he didn't do for her. Now that he's fighting for his son I feel like he's trying to make up for all his mistakes. I know he volunteered to work with some of the children who came through Lula's social services office. He said he wants to practice being a role model for his son.

The man also isn't stupid. Elaina pointed out that he may have a battle coming up for custody and that his past treatment of women will be used against him. So he's going to need some character witnesses: cue myself and Lula. Possibly Steph and Elaina if he can work it right. I'm a former spy; I don't begrudge anyone for using me as long as it doesn't cause me or someone I love any harm, especially when I find it so obvious.

I originally thought the only reason he was being so nice was just to have a character witness but I know now that we've actually bonded as real friends and he truly cares about me. He's trying to overcome his issues with women. Between therapy and his developing relationships, he's doing a hell of a job and I can respect that.

I decided to sign up for yoga and got Lula and Erik to come with me. Steph and Elaina decided to take kickboxing because Elaina has some pent up aggression that she needs to work out. Bobby's an amazing man and I've never told him or Les, but I've known all along about his family.

When I was declassified and we traced the searches to RangeMan, I did an extensive background check on all the partners. I honestly thought Bobby would be nothing more than an entitled trust fund brat whose parents forced him into some sort of military service. Les, Ranger and Tank must have only tolerated him for his money and connections.

Nothing could have been further from the truth. Bobby is an honorable man who doesn't acknowledge the fact that he was born with a platinum spoon in his mouth. No one would ever guess it. He's funny, kind and loyal. He's also a complete badass in the field, the best RangeMan has (well, besides me) at hand to hand combat and an incredible medic.

He's an amazing friend to Les and to everyone else. Elaina is a lucky woman and she knows it. Well… she used to, anyway. Keeping that kind of a secret from his future wife was a fucked up thing for Bobby to do. I'm new to this marriage stuff and I know you shouldn't keep secrets from your spouse. Les kept a secret about his needing to jerk off and THAT caused a huge issue. I can't imagine how Elaina's dealing with the fallout of all the secrets Bobby was keeping. I'm a former agent and I've been more honest with Les then Bobby's been with Elaina. Secrecy, deception and subterfuge are like air to me, but I found a way to be honest with my husband. I know how much Bobby and Elaina love each other. I really think that they can work it out if Bobby just opens up a little.

I just finished a relaxing yoga class with Erik and Lula when I asked Erik to take me to Whole Foods before taking me home. We kissed Lula goodbye and headed out. Since chewing made me sick Elaina asked if I ever considered juicing to try and acquire the right nutrients for the baby. I figured it was worth a shot so Elaina lent me her juicer and Erik and I were going to pick out fruits and vegetables to try.

We were idly walking through the produce section selecting different fruits and vegetables to try when I saw a familiar shape clad in leather pants and a fitted black t-shirt.

"Hello, Mrs. Santos," Jeanne Ellen Burrows greeted me.

Jeanne is a bounty hunter who has done some work with RangeMan in the past. She's one of the few female bounty hunters in the area. Les told me that they talked about bringing her on at RangeMan but she's too much of a loner and doesn't like to work with a partner.

She's a tall woman, about 5'9'' with dark silky, stick straight hair and oriental features with tan skin. I think her mother was Korean and her dad was Native American. She's a beautiful woman but not the friendliest person. We've always gotten along and have a healthy respect for each other's skills.

"Hey Jeanne, how are you?" I greeted.

"Good. I haven't seen you around much. I ran into your husband the other day and he told me you're off field work. Judging by the giant grin he had on, I take it congratulations are in order?" she said, giving me a rare smile.

"Yes and thank you! Have you met Erik Tanner?" I asked as I turned to introduce Erik.

Erik's mouth was hanging open as he stared at Jeanne Ellen. I nudged him to wake him from his stupor.

"Hi! Sorry. Erik Tanner," he finally said as he held out his hand for Jeanne Ellen.

"Jeanne Ellen," she said smiling at him. This is a big day for Jeanne Ellen, two smiles in one day!

I watched them as Erik held onto Jeanne's hand for a little too long. Jeanne finally took her hand back.

"It's nice to meet you," Erik finally said. I don't think he blinked once since Jeanne walked up.

"You, too. I've got to get going but I'm sure I'll see you around," she said as she turned away.

"What the hell was that?" I asked looking at Erik.

"Huh?" he responded. I realized he was still staring at Jeanne Ellen's ass as she walked away.

"What's gotten into you?" I asked.

"That may be the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. And those leather pants! Fuck! Does she always dress like that?" he asked.

I wasn't even trying to hide my smile. "She does like leather. I'm also pretty sure she's single. You should ask her out sometime," I suggested.

"You think she'd sleep with me?" he asked.

I punched him in the arm. "You should ask her out on a legitimate date. Don't just proposition her!" I scolded.

"I haven't been on a date since my ex-wife. I'm not sure I would even know how," he admitted.

"Well it's something we can work on," I said thoughtfully.

"Do you really think I have a chance with a woman like that?" he asked.

"Only one way to find out," I smiled.

Bobby's POV

Elaina and I have been seeing her counselor once a week. I have to admit it wasn't as awful as I originally envisioned.

Les did laugh his ass off about us being in couples' counseling. He ripped on me for a solid hour until I brought up the fact that I let him try and jerk off in my place to help "support his marriage" so maybe he should shut the fuck up about mine. He punched me in the arm and sheepishly mumbled "sorry about that."

I thought I was really in deep shit with that one. The next morning I woke up to the strangest thing. Elaina was awake and she was shaking in bed with her hand over her mouth. I rolled over and started at her quizzically. When she removed her hand she let out a giant cackle and then slammed her hand back over her mouth to stifle the sound.

"Baby, what the hell is going on?" I asked drowsily.

Elaina took a moment to compose over herself. "Lester Santos, the former playboy extraordinaire who has more kinky and disturbing sex stories then an entire boat full of sailors, was caught jerking off in our guest bedroom because he was too scared to admit to his wife that he needs to masturbate," she said as I could feel her body shaking besides mine.

"It just hit you now that it's funny? I thought you were literally going to kill me last night for letting him use our place," I said.

"Oh, you are so not off the hook for that! We're going to be in therapy until after we have grandchildren," she warned.

"So, you really forgive me for that?" I cringed.

"As long as it _never _happens again!"she said as her eyes met mine.

"We still have to go to therapy?" I asked hoping she'd say no.

"Oh yes, Mr. Brown, there is no way you're getting off that easy. You have some serious work to do making that one up to me," she laughed.

I grabbed her roughly and rolled on top of her.

"Making up? How about I start now? I'm going to show you how truly sorry I am," I whispered hotly as I rolled her onto her back. I hooked my fingers in her panties and quickly removed them.

Her eyes darkened as a smile appeared on her lips. "It would be a start," she teased.

I began making my way down to her body, stopping to kiss strategic spots before I buried my face in between her thighs as she gasped out loud. I'm all in if this is what "making up" entails.

Unfortunately it wasn't. We still needed therapy.

I have to admit, that since we started therapy our sex life and communication has improved. Elaina actually started putting together a guest list for our wedding. That was a huge relief to me considering I kept waiting for her to tell me that she wanted to postpone our wedding.

The counselor told us that our biggest issue is clearly trust.

According to him; I didn't trust Elaina with the truth about my family. I kept thinking that she would leave me if she found out the truth so instead I put it off and now it was doing significantly more damage than if I told her originally.

I tried to argue that the women whom I've dated in the past and knew about my family were only using me for the money or the connections and even after I hid the truth, my job was usually enough to drive women away.

Then the counselor tried to tell me that I'm insecure. _I'm insecure?_ That's bullshit! I'm a motherfucking badass who's been through some crazy shit. I can assess a room for threats within 30 seconds. I know exactly what my capabilities and my weaknesses are. I also know that I'm not a bad looking guy. Before Elaina, I had no problem picking up women any night that I felt the need.

The man then told me I'm _emotionally_ insecure. I don't trust a woman to stay for the right reasons. If she stays she must clearly be using me. If she leaves then she can't handle my job or my family. The way that I behaved was a defense mechanism. I was pushing Elaina away so if she leaves I can use the excuse of my family to protect myself.

I think this guy is full of shit but Elaina kept getting wide eyed and she kept squeezing my hand. I was trying to suppress the constant groans that were always creeping up on me.

When we talked about our sex life, Elaina and I both admitted that it was getting better since we started therapy.

"What do you think that's a sign of?" Dr. Keller asked me.

"That she's forgiving me," I answered.

To my surprise Elaina shook her head. "When I found out about all the secrets, you became a stranger to me. I feel more comfortable having sex again because I'm feeling closer to you," she said.

"I just figured you were punishing me. Like what women do when their man pisses them off. They cut them off from sex," I said looked at the doctor.

Elaina gave me such an eye roll that Stephanie Plum would've been proud.

"It's not about punishment. It was about me not feeling emotionally connected to you," she argued.

"I don't even understand that," I said starting at the therapist. He's a dude, he's gotta be on my side on this one.

I could always have sex with Elaina. It's never been an issue. Even when she pisses me off I want to have angry sex with her. I don't understand this feeling of not being emotionally connected. I love her, isn't that enough?

According to the therapist, it's not and we have more work to do. _Fuck._


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N- As always I own nothing that you recognize. JE does.**

**Thanks to VaBabe who has been an amazing Beta. This month is crazy so hopefully we'll be able to keep posting once a week. I'll be moving in two weeks, we still don't have a place. I may be having a breakdown so maybe I'll be writing more so I can avoid reality for a little longer. Thanks again for all the reviews I love and appreciate them!**

Chapter 14

Lester's POV

I had an intense workout and finished up in the shower. Alex and I agreed to take separate showers for the time being so I can have alone time. I came out of the shower to find Alex sitting on our bed struggling with her pants. She couldn't zip them over her growing bump.

I couldn't help but smile. I loved the changes in her body. Her breasts were fuller, which speaking as a man, is never a bad thing. I loved the tiny bump in her stomach. It was so cute and made her look so womanly. Knowing she was carrying my child made me beam with pride. It was also a huge turn on.

"I'm too fat!" she cried out as she looked up at me, her face crumbling and her eyes filling with tears.

_Shit._

"Angel, you're not fat, you're pregnant. You look so beautiful, you have no idea," I said as I slowly walked towards my wife.

She rolled her eyes at me. _She's gotta stop hanging out with Steph._

I knelt down in front of her and took her face in my hands "You're so fucking gorgeous especially pregnant. I love your body and you don't seem to know what you do to me," I mumbled at I kissed her full lips.

I was expecting her usual chaste kiss in return, but instead she kissed me back passionately and deeply, moaning as I pushed my tongue into her mouth. There was no yawning and she wasn't pushing me off to run to the bathroom to throw up. I gently pushed her back onto the bed and she pulled me on top of her.

I broke our kiss and looked into her bright eyes now dark with desire. _Oh thank Christ. _ It's been over two months since we last had sex and even with the constant jerking off I was still a fucking mess. I ripped off her too small pants and crashed back on top of her, dropping my towel. She was rubbing herself up against me and I was pretty sure I was going to explode, we may need two rounds. I was about to rip off her tiny panties when I hear my phone go off.

"FUCK!" I shouted in frustration.

I was technically on duty and obligated to answer. _Someone better be shot._

"Yo!" I barked.

"Bad timing?" asked Ranger.

"You don't have a fucking clue how bad," I growled as I raked my hand through my hair.

"Too fucking bad. We got a line on Simpson," Ranger replied.

Simpson was a high end FTA and worth a shit ton of money to RangeMan. He was also a dangerous fucker.

"FUCK! Alright. I'm coming but I need a favor, give Steph the morning off and send her to my place," I asked.

"Done. She's on her way down," Ranger answered.

I hung up and turned to look at my wife who was lying on the bed in nothing but her bra and panties. Her breasts were so full they were almost spilling out of her bra. She was incredibly sexy. My body was so turned on I was practically vibrating with tension.

"Angel, I gotta go. Ranger's got a line on Simpson," I explained through gritted teeth.

"It's alright, I understand," she answered.

I let out a breath and thought about Grandma Mazur in the shower to get control of myself. I stood and started angrily throwing on clothes.

"Why did you ask Steph to come down?" Alex asked.

I reached into my wallet and pulled out my credit card. "Because I don't know anyone whose better at shopping then Stephanie Plum and I want to buy my wife new clothes and maybe some new lingerie considering she's growing out of her old bras," I said as I ran my finger down the center of her chest. She let out a beautiful sigh and then I groaned when I realized I was just torturing myself.

"I have plenty of money," Alex pointed out. Alex and I have separate checking but a joint savings.

"I want to do this for you. Please just let a husband spoil his wife," I said as I wrapped my arms around her.

She snuggled against my chest and I kissed her hair. "Thank you," she whispered.

I lowered my mouth to hers and lost track of everything as I continued kissing my gorgeous wife. Alex and I were completely making out and I was struggling to keep my control when I heard a subtle "Ahem," from behind us. We broke our kiss and I turned to see Bomber standing in the doorway.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked.

"Beautiful, I have an assignment that I only trust you to handle," I said.

"Oh yeah?" she said as she started to smile.

"You're going to take my wife shopping and get everything she needs. Designer maternity jeans, new bras, shirts, dresses whatever. Just make sure she feels as sexy as she looks," I said as I gave Alex a wink.

"I think I can handle that," Steph said with a nod.

"I knew you were the woman for the job," I said as I kissed her forehead.

I turned back to my wife who was still standing around in her bra and panties and dipped her down, giving her a searing kiss.

This was the first time she's been in the mood in weeks, I wanted to encourage this as much as possible. I was scared her stomach was going to start acting up or she was going to come home exhausted. I said my goodbyes as I left to meet Ranger in the garage but not before I had to adjust my giant hard on.

Elaina's POV

I was in my office when my assistant Ben came in with a package for me. I looked at the return address and realized it must be from Bobby's parents. I felt a knot in my stomach immediately form. I debated calling Bobby to question him before opening it but I didn't want to cause an argument over what could very well could be nothing.

I grabbed the envelope and tore it open. I pulled out several documents and did a quick scan. One was the pre-nuptial agreement that his parents told me they'd send. I assume that it's pretty boiler plate, basically protecting family money. I put it aside and looked at the other document, it was a guest list. It was a HUGE guest list. There were almost 500 names on it!

WHAT THE FUCK! How do they even know this many people? I bet Bobby doesn't have a clue who most of these people are and the others he hasn't seen in almost a decade_. Why would we be inviting them to our wedding?_

I put the list down and began rubbing my temples. I felt a headache coming on. I always pictured a simple wedding, maybe on a beach with our immediate families and some close friends, small and intimate. I was not prepared for some huge public display. I cringed when I thought about 500 people looking at me while I recited my vows.

I picked up the small note which was written in perfect script by his mother.

_Elaina my dear,_

_It was a pleasure to meet you and we are looking forward to the wedding. We are enclosing our guest list. I'm sure Robert told you, that the Fosters' is already booked for next April. It's one of the few locations that can easily accommodate our number of guests. Money is no object Darling, not when our only son is getting married. Just sign the pre-nuptial agreement when you have a moment and send it back to our attorney who will take care of all the details. Linda, your wedding coordinator, will be in contact soon._

_Sincerely,_

_M. Brown_

So Bobby and his mother are already planning our wedding? I groaned and placed my head on the desk were I felt the need to bang it several times. _At this rate, we'll still be in therapy when our grandkids get married. _

I sighed and picked up the prenup to review. I started reading and the more I read the more my blood began to boil. _Who the hell do these people think they are?_ When I asked Bobby if he knew anything about the prenup he told me it's pretty standard and nothing to be concerned about. How the _fuck_ is this nothing to be concerned about?

I'm usually very in control of my temper. I can only think of a handful of times when I completely lost it in the last five years. One of those times was when I walked in on Lester, but I don't think that should be used against me.

I tried to get control of myself but I couldn't. I needed to see Bobby. I grabbed my keys and shoved the papers back into the envelope.

I sped towards RangeMan waiting for my anger to subside but it wasn't happening. I parked and walked briskly to the elevators, ignoring Binkie who looked like he was about to say something but then thought better of it.

I took the elevator to five and walked down the hall. Several large men in black scattered as I approached. I walked into Bobby's office to find him in the middle of dressing down two of his men for something. I would _never_ usually interrupt something like this but at this moment I couldn't control myself.

All three men turned and looked at me when I entered. I glanced at the men that Bobby was tearing into.

"Get. Out," I said tightly.

Both sets of eyes widened and they hurried out shutting the door behind them.

Bobby took a look at my face and knew something was wrong. "Baby? What the hell is going on? Are you alright?" he asked. I normally would have melted at the concern in his eyes.

"Standard. That's what you told me I'd be signing. A standard prenup. Do you even know what this is?" I asked, holding up the evelope.

He looked at me with a confused expression.

"Bobby, what your parents sent me is a travesty. I hope this is some sort of a joke," I said as I removed the document. "First off there's a cheating clause. If I have an affair, I would forfeit any right to not only all your assets but to any assets that we acquire as a married couple," I started.

"You're planning on having an affair?" he asked raising an eyebrow.

"No! What's interesting is there is only a cheating clause for _me_. _You_ don't seem to have one!" I growled.

He winced.

"Secondly, they want me to sign a contract stating that we will begin trying to conceive within one year of being married and if I can't conceive and you want to divorce me, I also forfeit our marital assets. Then it goes on to award me for children. If we have a daughter I will get 500K if we were to divorce, a son, a million. This is archaic and disgusting! I will never sign any document which interferes with our decisions on planning our own family, I will never sign something that says you have the right to drop me without penalty if I'm barren and I'll be damned if I will _ever_ sign a document which basically states that my sons are more valuable than my daughters!" I seethed.

Bobby looked stricken. "Elaina, I promise you that I spoke with my father and he assured me that the prenup was standard and a formality. I had no idea and about all those clauses. I don't want you to sign it," he said as his eyes pleaded with me to believe him.

I sighed as I felt my anger finally begin to subside. "I flew off the handle. I'm sorry," I said.

"I can understand why you were mad. Know that I would never ask something like that from you. That prenup is disrespectful to you and our marriage. I would never sign it," he said taking my face in his hands and kissing me softly.

I kissed him back. I should have known that Bobby would never agree to send me that prenup. It does raise some serious concerns about his parents.

"My parents are…old fashioned," Bobby tried to explain as if reading my mind.

That wasn't exactly what I was thinking, but I remained silent.

"Let me guess then. You knew nothing about this giant guest list and reserving some place called the Fosters?" I said as I slipped my arms around my future husband. _We're just going to have to tell his parents that we appreciate their help but we need to make our own decisions. Everything will be fine._

"Umm…I may have known about that," Bobby said holding me tighter, possibly trying to restrain my arms.

"When were you planning on telling me that you've already decided when and where we're getting married? I'm new at this, and correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't bride usually get a say in something like this? Dammit Bobby! These are decisions we should be making together!" I said as I removed myself from his grasp.

"Elaina, generations of my family have been married there. It's a big deal that my parents want us to be married there," he tried to explain.

I wanted to scream. _Why can't we seem to get it together? When did making us work become so hard?_

"This is something we needed to discuss. And 500 people! That's insane! I thought we would have a small wedding," I argued.

"It means a lot to my family," he pointed out.

I was so frustrated I wanted to pull out my hair. "We can talk about this later," I said as I turned on my heel and left his office. I was scared that if I stayed something would fly out of my mouth that I couldn't take back.

I was storming down the hallway when I was grabbed by a large pair of hands and lifted off my feet. I gasped as I was pulled into Ranger's office and the door quickly shut.

"What the hell are you doing?" I snarled. Ranger had me off my feet and I was flailing around like an idiot. Ranger has about a foot on me and a hundred pounds.

"You know, if you took your self-defense lessons more seriously you could probably get out of this," he said easily while I continued to squirm indignantly.

I tried to kick him in the shin but he dodged me nimbly and smiled at me. I glared at him till be put me down.

"Did you need something?" I asked coldly.

"I want to know why you're scaring the shit out of my men?" he said as he folded his arms.

"Not my fault that you hire men who can't handle a small angry woman," I snapped.

He said nothing and just raised an eyebrow at me. I hate when he does that. I don't know how Stephanie deals with it.

I just glared back at him, waiting for him to start yelling at me.

"You storm into my building almost making Binkie piss his pants. We could all hear the "Wicked Witch of the West" music playing as you stalked down the hall. It was like the fucking parting of the Red Sea out there, all my men were terrified of getting in your way. Then I heard you interrupted Bobby in the middle of a meeting, commanding two of the new guys to get out. I think you owe me an explanation," he said.

"Are you planning on kicking me out of RangeMan?" I challenged folding my arms.

"No. But I'm concerned. You usually keep your cool but lately you've been losing it. What the hell is going on?" he asked as he leaned against his desk.

I felt my defenses falter; I was prepared to be yelled at. I wasn't prepared for his concern. I ran my hands threw my hair.

"You're going to think I'm insane. I must be to be thinking this way," I said quietly.

"Tell me," he ordered in a gentle tone.

"I think Bobby's parents are trying to break us up. They sent me a prenup which they must have known I wouldn't sign. It had a cheating clause for me, dictated when Bobby and I should have children, gave Bobby an out if I wasn't able to conceive. It was fucked up. Bobby just thinks his parents are 'old fashioned'. I think their playing games and I can't accuse them to Bobby because I have no proof. Even if I did, I'm not sure I could permanently damage his relationship with his parents just as he's getting it back," I admitted.

Ranger stayed silent looking at me.

"Tell me I'm crazy," I pleaded.

"No," he replied.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" I asked.

"I don't have a fucking clue," he responded.

I collapsed into a chair. Ranger and I were quiet for a few moments. I could only think of one thing to do.

"I have to pretend that I don't notice what they're doing. I'm just going to ignore it. I'll come up with my own prenup, I'll have their god awful wedding at the Fosters and then maybe once we're married they'll back off," I said looking up at him.

"Yeah, that will probably work," he said.

"You think?" I asked tentatively.

"No. I think this will eventually come to a head. How much are you willing to take?" Ranger asked studying my face.

I let out a breath. "For Bobby? A lot," I said giving him a small smile.

"He wouldn't want you to," he said.

"Which is why I'm not going to tell him," I pointed out.

"Enjoy therapy for the next twenty years," he answered.

I couldn't take it; I felt my eyes fill with tears.

"Shit," Ranger said looking up at me. He pulled me into his arms while I cried on his shirt. He stroked my back as if soothing a child.

"Elaina, Bobby loves you. He would do anything for you, even cut off his family if he felt they were trying to hurt you. I think you need to gather your evidence and be honest with him. I wouldn't necessarily tell Bobby anything right now, the prenup could just be a fluke, but I think you need to watch your back," he said into my hair.

He let me continue to cry on him, holding me tight against him. I felt like if he let go my legs wouldn't be able to support me.

"Are you and Stephanie going to come to my big pretentious wedding in South Carolina?" I asked as I got control over myself.

"We wouldn't miss it," he smiled as he kissed me forehead.

I took a breath and pulled away. I went to leave his office but turned before I left. "Carlos, I'm sorry for bringing drama to your business, it wasn't my intention," I said.

"I know. Honestly, it's fun to see you lose it every now and then. You also help keep the men on their toes," he said with a smile.

"Thank you…for everything," I said.

He gave me a nod.

I smiled at him and then left to head back to my apartment to start planning my over the top, 500 guest wedding…and drink a bottle of wine.

Alex's POV

Stephanie and I spent the entire morning at the mall. I don't think I've ever spent that long shopping. I hate shopping. Don't get me wrong, I like clothes, but I'm more of an online-have-it-delivered kind of girl. But I have to admit shopping with the Bombshell Bounty Hunter was fun.

Les was right, the woman could shop. We'd go into a store and I'd watch her eyes light up and she'd dance around the racks pulling different clothes for me to try and literally everything that she picked fit perfectly. How does she do that?

I felt better than I have weeks. My stomach was finally settling and the juicing was helping me hit my caloric and nutritional requirements. I also suddenly have energy. A LOT of energy. I realized it yesterday when I was running on the treadmill. I was jogging at my normal pace and I felt like I was moving too slow so I sped up a little bit and then I ran an extra three miles just because I could. I then cleaned our entire apartment top to bottom, made dinner and then went to yoga. Usually after a workout I have to have a three hour nap. I was so surprised that I called my doctor who laughed and said "welcome to the second trimester!" I think I'm going to like the second trimester.

Except for this whole weight thing. I lost about five pounds in the first trimester but once I hit three months magically I gained it back within two weeks and it all seems to be in my breasts and my belly. My breasts are swollen and hurt sometimes and my nipples are really sensitive. I was really upset this morning when I realized I could no longer fit into my pants.

I bought way more than I planned and hoped Les wouldn't mind. I took all my bags back to my apartment while Steph went up to spend the afternoon completing searches. I took a long hot shower then dried my hair and put on some make-up. I wanted to be in something besides sweats when Lester got home. I slipped into my new bra and underwear set. I have to admit that the bra fit much better.

I pulled on a silky camisole and one of my new skirts with a stretchy waist. The camisole was satiny and felt amazing and sensual against my skin. My hands began running over my bump then up to my sensitive breasts. I began touching myself and my skin. I felt heat flash through me and desire began to overwhelm my senses. I needed my husband…NOW.

I glanced at the clock and realized that he wouldn't be down for another two hours. I couldn't wait that long. I slipped off my panties and slipped on some sexy heels that I haven't worn in awhile and headed up to the the fifth floor. I strutted down the hallway and I began to feel warm and desperate with every step. I reach Les's office and a new recruit was in there talking to him. He needed to go.

I threw my head back and gave him and angry look. "I need to see my husband, alone. Now," I said coldly.

The guy looked me up and down and gave me a curt nod. "Shut the door behind you," I ordered.

Lester was looking at me with his eyebrows raised and a tentative expression. He wasn't sure if he was in trouble or not. I walked over to his desk and picked up his keys out of the silver bowl sitting on his desk and used the key fob to shut off the camera. I slowly strutted back to the door letting Les take in all angles as I locked the door.

"Angel, please don't start something you can't finish," he begged.

"Oh my Darling husband, you don't understand how desperate I am to finish," I smiled as I pushed his chair back and straddled his legs. He was very ready for me. I began moving my hips, grinding against him. I felt a moan escape my lips while I heard Lester growl as his large hands gripped my hips.

My skirt was pushed up high on my thighs and Les was taking in my now impressive cleavage.

"You look so fucking hot," he mumbled as his pupils dilated. I took his hand and gently slid it up my thigh to show him that I may have "forgot" something while getting changed.

He groaned as he began to feel how ready I was for him. His mouth crashed onto mine as his fingers began rubbing right where I needed them to. I came hard and easily. I don't ever remember being this turned on, he barely touched me and I shattered into a million pieces.

I had just finished riding the wave of my first orgasm when I realized I was desperate for another. I pulled Les to his feet and unzipped his pants. To my surprise he stopped me.

"Not yet," he said with a wicked grin.

He picked me up and sat me on the desk. I pulled off his shirt and then he pulled off mine revealing my new black and white lacey bra. He gently ran a finger over the tops of my breasts.

"Very pretty, Angel," he smiled as he began kissing my throat. I knew I was going to have a mark but I didn't care.

He removed my new bra sending it flying across the room as he kissed my chest tormenting me. He pushed me back so I was lying across his desk, as he dropped to his knees lifting my legs over his shoulders.

I cried out as he went down on me, arching my back. I began running my hands over my swollen breasts and I heard Les moan in appreciation as he brought me to the edge.

"Oh god, Les! Please don't stop," I begged. My husband, being the amazing man he is, had no intention of stopping and another orgasm rolled over me as I cried out his name.

"Dammit Angel, you're so fucking sexy," Lester said as he brought his mouth back up to mine and kissed me passionately.

He grabbed me roughly off the desk as he finally let me push down his pants. He spun me around pulling my hair the way he knew I liked. I was ready for another orgasm. I had my hands placed on the desk in front of me and my skirt was rolled up. Les entered me from behind thrusting into me.

"Harder Baby, please. Oh god you feel good," I moaned. Les gave me exactly what I wanted, gripping my hip with one hand while using the other to rub my clit. I pushed back against him in time with his thrusts.

"Oh my god, Angel. You feel amazing. Oh god. I love you," Les moaned. I came again and then felt him explode deep inside me.

We collapsed in his office chair, our breathing ragged. We clung to each other for several minutes, unable to speak.

"That was amazing. Please interrupt my meetings every day," Les finally begged as he kissed my shoulder.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, because I'm almost ready to go again," I whispered as I pushed off his lap then dropped to my knees in front of him.

"I think I can be convinced," Les said looking down at me as my favorite wicked grin appeared on his lips.

My sex drive has been extremely high ever since I've hooked up with Les but today it's in over drive. I almost came walking down the hall at just the thought of being with him. It was even more intense then when I returned from missions.

We had sex three more times in his office before emerging. We left with our arms wrapped around each other looking completely disheveled with some very visible hickeys.

Steph and Tank came out of Tank's office each wearing a giant grin.

"I'm glad you approve of the clothes that Alex and I picked out," Steph said looking at Les.

"Yeah, thanks Beautiful. I owe you one," he grinned as we continued to walk toward the elevator.

"Hey Santos!" called Tank.

"What's up Tank?" Les asked over his shoulder.

"You know that your office isn't soundproof right?" he asked.

"Yeah man, I know," Les replied easily with a grin as we walked into the elevator.

Steph's POV

I headed up to seven after listening to Alex and Lester go at it for the past two hours. I was glad she was feeling better but I was slightly scared what the second trimester was going to bring. My sister Valerie told me she'd go from out of control horny to crying hysterically to raging at her husband over his socks on the floor.

I walked in and was surprised to find Carlos in the kitchen cooking.

"What's this?" I asked as I walked up behind him and slipped my hands around his waist.

"Gave Ella the night off. I wanted to do something nice," he explained.

"Well, I just spent the last two hours listening to Alex and Lester having sex in his office and I got a little jealous," I admitted.

"You wanna have sex with Lester? Gotta tell you Babe, I'd be upset if I have to kill my cousin," Ranger said as he continued cutting up vegetables.

"You know damn well that's not what I meant," I said hitting him lightly in the arm.

"I mean if you wanna have sex with Alex, I'd be willing to negotiate," he turned grinning at me.

"Negotiate?" I asked.

"Yeah. It wouldn't be cheating if I could watch. It would be even better if I got to participate," he teased.

"Are you saying you want to have a threesome? Am I not enough for you?" I asked playfully pouting as I ran my hand down his chest and then down over his pants grabbing him.

He let out a moan as he grabbed my face and kissed me pushing his tongue into my mouth. He pulled me closer and I grinded my hips against his. I broke our kiss.

"I was jealous because they were having crazy hot office sex," I mumbled against his lips.

"It just so happens I have an office in the next room," Carlos mumbled back.

"Wanna show it to me?" I asked.

Carlos bent down grabbing my legs to wrap around his waist as he carried me into the other room. His desk had some papers scattered across it which he pushed off with one hand laying me down and crawling on top of me.

We ripped off each others' shirts and continue to makeout like horny teenagers. Carlos's hands quickly found a way into my pants and panties.

"Damn, Babe. You're really ready for me," he growled as he began slowly tormenting me.

"It's not my fault. I had to listen to them for _two hours_," I moaned. I really didn't want to go slow right now. I reached down to touch him.

That's all the encouragement he needed. My pants were quickly removed and my panties were pushed to the side as Carlos thrust into me hard causing him to moan and me to cry out in pleasure.

We spent the next hour testing the sturdiness of his desk. We left his office with some bruised knees and maybe a little rug burn but very happy. We showered quickly and then returned to the kitchen where I got a glass of wine and Carlos continued cooking. I offered to help but for some reason Carlos said he was all set and just to relax.

We talked about our days for a while and I told him about shopping with Alex and he talked about taking down Simpson. Carlos finished cooking and we sat down over dinner.

I was admiring the rug burn on my elbow, wondering when the hell that happened when he said something that caught me completely off guard.

"Do you ever think about getting off the pill?" he asked.

"Like doing the shot or the patch instead?" I asked quizzically.

"No, like getting off birth control," he stated.

"You wanna use condoms?" I asked. Now I'm really confused, I love not having to worry about condoms. I thought he did too.

"If you're worried about me giving you something, I think you'd probably already have it," I pointed out.

"Babe, I'm not talking about STDs. I'm talking about kids," he said.

I was in the middle of sipping my wine when I began to choke. Carlos stood up and came around the table to slap me on the back. I grabbed my water and sipped it as I began to get control of myself.

"Kids?" I managed to squeak out.

"Yeah. I mean I'm not sure yet, but maybe we should just leave it up to Mother Nature," he said.

"You're not sure you want to have more children, but you're cool with letting God decide?" I repeated.

"Yeah, it's not a definite. It's not like your nineteen," he pointed out.

"Alright! Stop right there. I'm not too old to have kids!" I snapped.

"Of course not, I'm just saying you're not getting any younger and neither am I" he explained.

"Ranger, you gotta be fucking kidding me right now. I'm not sure I want children but I know for a fact I'm not too old! Not to mention people invented birth control so we could have _planned_ pregnancy. I'm not going off birth control and leaving it to 'Mother Nature' until we actually are positive this is something we both want," I explained trying not to shriek. I took a breath. "Does this whole conversation mean you definitely want to get married?" I asked.

"Not necessarily. We don't have to be married to have a child," he said.

"We don't technically have to be married to share money either," I pointed out.

"Does that mean you're now willing to combine finances?" he asked as his eyes widened.

"No! My point was that you don't _have_ to be married to have a child or share finances but I personally would want to be married to do those things," I explained.

"So, you want to marry me?" he asked.

"I don't know! I'm thinking about it now!" I squirmed nervously. "Even if I said yes that doesn't mean I want to have a child," I said.

"Babe, I love you and I'm happy you're starting to think about these things," he said as he reached for my hand across the table and gave it a quick squeeze.

"I love you too and if there was anyone who could ever make me reconsider my stance on marriage and children, it's you," I said smiling at him

He smiled back at me and we continued eating dinner.

"I have a surprise for you," I said.

He raised his eyebrows at me. I left the table and came back with my purse and pulled out a paper and handed it to him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"That is our joint savings account. I opened it today, I know it's not exactly what you wanted but I thought it was a good compromise for now," I explained.

This got me a 200 watt smile and my sexy Cuban boyfriend pulled me into his lap and nuzzled my neck.

"Thank you," he whispered in my ear.

"Oh Carlos?" I said.

"Babe?" he asked.

"If you ever insinuate that I'm too old to have kids again I'm going to kick you so hard that kids won't even be an option," I warned.

"Babe," he said with a grin.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: JE owns everything you recognize. I own the people you don't but feel free to play if you're in the mood.**

**Thank to VaBabe for being one badass Beta. You keep me going with your encouragement not to mention your always awesome suggestions (readers: VaBabe is the one who always encourages me to have more Ranger/Steph sex scenes. I think we all owe her a thank you! =) )**

Chapter 15

Bobby's POV

I was in RangeMan's conference room feeling slightly sick to my stomach.

I was meeting with James Howard, RangeMan's attorney, to review the new prenup that Elaina drafted with the help of Glenn Shover. Elaina explained that she wanted me to review it in private with another attorney so I could make an informed decision without feeling like she was pressuring me.

I thought that was ridiculous, I know she wouldn't draft something that would fuck me over. I would have no problem having her sitting here but she insisted that I do this and begged me to take it seriously. She reminded me that it was a legal contract and that I needed to be comfortable with it.

I started thinking about asking Tank for some of the Maalox he keeps in his office. I wasn't feeling sick about the prenup; I was feeling sick about an e-mail that I read on Elaina's laptop. She was checking her messages this morning when she got an emergency call from a patient at the hospital struggling with an insurance issue. She grabbed her purse and keys and flew out the door, dropping a quick kiss on my lips.

I was about to head out with Les to pick-up skips when I noticed an e-mail chain between Elaina and her brother John as I walked by her computer. It was titled "Reconsider". John was several years older than Elaina. He was married with three kids and lived up in Boston. I know that Elaina and John are really close.

I shouldn't have invaded her privacy. It was wrong but I had a nasty feeling forming in my gut. I took a breath and clicked on the e-mail. I scrolled to the first one sent by John; it was sent after we got back from South Carolina. I know Elaina and John had some long phone conversations after the trip and it was clear from his e-mail that she told him everything.

John's e-mail asked Elaina to slow things down with me. He said that he thought I was a good guy and that I loved her but I was keeping secrets and that wasn't a good foundation for a marriage. He then pointed out she would be marrying into a family that wasn't ready to accept her. He asked her to postpone the wedding.

Elaina wrote back saying that she understands his concerns, but we're not postponing anything. She loves me and can handle my family's disapproval of her as long as they don't cut me out of their lives again. I felt something constrict in my chest when I read that. She so easily puts my needs before her own, and then hides it from me so that I don't feel guilty.

John wrote back begging her to reconsider. He felt that my parents were going to cause problems for us and that Elaina deserves to marry into a family that loves and respects her, not one that looks down on her and demeans her. He got more forceful in this one saying he brought his concerns to their parents. _Oh shit._ John claimed that their father was beside himself and was threatening not to attend the wedding. He went on to say that they were worried what else I was keeping from her and were wondering if I would continue to be secretive. John wrote that she shouldn't trust me right now and that we should consider taking a break and reevaluate.

Elaina wrote back and made it very clear she was pissed that John got their parents involved. She went on to point out that we were in counseling and that I was opening up to her. She stated that she loved me and would never consider a break and if they can't be happy for us and don't think they could support our marriage then they didn't have to come to our wedding. That's where the e-mail correspondence ended.

I was sitting at the island staring at the open emails when Lester walked in.

"Yo! You ready?" he asked. He stopped when he saw the look on my face. "What's going on?" he asked.

I got up from the island and spun the laptop to face Les. "Read it, from the beginning," I said.

Les didn't even question why I was in Elaina's e-mail. He read through the e-mails his eyes widening.

"Shit. Thumbelina can't catch a break can she?" he asked shaking his head. "I'm also guessing that since you're in her e-mail right now that she didn't tell you that her family is boycotting your wedding?" he asked.

"Nope," I answered.

"Dude, I don't think she was trying to be deceitful. She probably didn't want to cause tension and she's hoping that her family will come around," Les pointed out.

"I'm not mad at her. I just hate that she's handling this all on her own. She's getting no support from her family and then mine feels the need to send her that completely fucked up prenup, another way to 'welcome' her to my shitshow of a family. I don't know how she's holding it together," I said rubbing the back of my neck.

I thought about her blowing up after she received the prenup and that's when I realized, she wasn't holding it together. She was breaking down.

"I need to talk to her about this. How do I bring it up without having to admit I was going through her e-mail?" I asked.

"Don't lie! Normally, I would never tell a dude to admit to his woman that he went through her e-mail or phone but you guys have had enough secrets. I would come clean," Les said.

"Fuck! Maybe we should postpone this wedding until her family calms down," I said as I ran my hands through my hair.

"That should be her call," Les advised.

Les and I left to picks up skips. I admit that I took out some aggression against a rapist. He may have "fell" down some stairs when he went to throw a punch at me.

I was lost in thought in the conference room when James Howard entered. Howard was about six feet tall and dressed impeccably as always. All the women at RangeMan (Steph, Alex and Ella) love James Howard. He's a black man with light eyes which have them tripping over themselves every time they see him. It doesn't help that he's a fucking flirt and makes sure to compliment each woman whenever he sees them. Howard's also a damn good attorney and a real asset to RangeMan even if he does turn our women inside out every time he comes in.

"Brown," Howard greeted me. "Shover's assistant dropped off the paper work. You're a very lucky man," he said as he pulled out the prenup and slid it across the table.

"How so?" I asked as I picked up the document.

"When I first read this I thought you must have picked a very stupid woman. But, I know you and I know Elaina Merritt's reputation. She clearly loves and trusts you," he said with a shake of his head.

I started flipping through the document as Ella came in with a tray of bottled water and some fruit.

"Mr. Howard, Bobby," she greeted us. "I thought you could use some refreshments for your meeting," she said as she put down the tray and smiled at Howard.

"Thanks Ella, that was very kind of you," I said with fake surprise.

She clearly ignored me and focused on James Howard.

"Ella! It's lovely to see you," he said as he took her hand. "You know I hate when you call me Mr. Howard. How does someone work as hard as you but keep their skin so soft?" he asked, smiling at her as he played with her hand.

Ella blushed and swatted him away as I rolled my eyes. _Fucking Howard. _

Ella left the room and Howard continued. "She forfeits all rights to any of your family money. Basically, if you get divorced without children and you're both still working at your prospective jobs you each walk away with what you came in with. She can't touch RangeMan and you can't touch the Chase Foundation. Any marital assets acquired will be split, but if an agreement can't be reached in sixty days the assets will be liquidated and split 50/50," he explained.

"Why sixty days?" I asked.

"It's a way of not having a divorce drag out. Get a clean break. No agreement, then no matter what it's over in sixty days. It's a way to keep things a civil as possible," he explained.

I hated the thought that if Elaina wanted she could completely disappear from my life so easily. I couldn't imagine my life without her. I know she did this to be fair but I hated to think about the end of our marriage before we'd even started.

"So, what's your professional opinion?" I asked.

"Sign it. This is the probably the most favorable prenup for a client I've ever seen. I'm surprised Shover let her get away with this. She probably had to bully the shit out of him," he said.

I read through the documents several times and then finally signed them. I wish she wanted more. It sounds strange but it just felt like she was already planning her escape. She's rather have a quick divorce and give up all her rights to my money then risk being trapped in a rotten marriage to me. She could've easily walked away with millions. She knew I would've signed it but she didn't give a shit about the money. She was also willing to marry me even if both our families don't approve. I am a lucky bastard and I want to prove to me future wife that I can be the husband that she deserves.

I shook hands and said goodbye to Howard. We left the conference room and I watched as Alex and Steph "accidently" bumped into him in the hallway. I contained my groan and eyeroll when I walked by and saw Steph blush as Howard tugged on a curl then gently touched Alex's growing belly as Alex felt his bicep.

I went back to my apartment and within seconds Elaina came in, looking tired and stressed out.

"Hey, Baby," I greeted her softly.

"Hi," she said as she dropped her purse and her key on the small table by the entrance. She walked quickly towards me then threw her arms around my shoulders, burying her face in my chest.

"You okay?" I asked as my arms went around her.

"Shitty day," she explained as she hid her face against my chest.

I held her tight, breathing in the scent of her hair and finally feeling her body relax against me. We stayed locked together for a moment.

I tilted her face up and kissed her lips. She sighed and then opened her mouth, deepening the kiss. I bent down and picked her up to carry her to the bedroom; she was clinging to me as I kissed her neck. I was also having a shitty day and wanted the comfort of my fiancé.

I have a lot of doubts and insecurities about my future, but I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that I want Elaina Merritt as my wife.

I just hope she still wants me as her husband.

Lula's POV

Tank and I haven't been getting along since our confrontation about my night with Tanner. He keeps trying to explain his side to me but I just don't see it! I'm my own damn person and can hang out with anyone I want.

Tank seems to think that since he's my boyfriend he gets a say. I'm thinking, that unless I'm doing something dangerous, he can't say shit. We've continued to argue about it but I'm not giving in on this one. No way in hell.

When I was a ho, I had someone always telling me what to do, who I could see, who I was going to talk to, who I wasn't going to talk to. The pimps owned your ass and it was a miserable existence. Tank has never treated me like a ho or something that he owned. But when he started telling me he didn't like me hanging out with other men it really struck a nerve.

I parked my car in the driveway and suppressed a groan when I saw Tank's car already parked. I wasn't in the mood for another argument or the tension in the house when we're both home but not really speaking. I mentally sighed as I grabbed my purse and headed into the house.

I could hear music playing. I curiously put my purse down and walked towards the back of the house where I noticed the music was coming from. I opened the sliding door to the deck when I saw our patio furniture set up for dinner. Tank had decorated the deck with white Christmas lights and actually was using a table cloth with our nice dishes and silverware.

"What the hell's goin' on here?" I asked.

"Honey, we haven't had a pleasant meal together in weeks. I figured it was time for us to really sit down and enjoy each other," Tank said as he walked up to me and pulled me into a hug.

I melted into him. We haven't really hugged since our fight and even though I wasn't planning on backing down from my point if felt really good to have my boyfriend's arms around me. I felt the tension leave my body as Tank held me tight, gently rubbing my back.

It wasn't in a sexual way; it brought me comfort and made me feel safe. Tank had ways of stripping down my defenses; he always finds a way to keep me from hiding behind my attitude.

I sat at the table while Tank filled our plates and served me. I had two glasses of wine and was turning into a pile of goo over my love for this man.

"Lula, I think I owe you an apology," Tank started. I stayed quiet for once, none of the guys are big on apologies, mostly cuz they think they're always right. It's always better to shut up and listen when they actually start an apology.

"I'm not going to change my mind about my feelings of you hanging out with other men, but I realized I have no authority over you and I don't want to continue to fight about this. I hate that we've been living together but barely speaking, never touching. It's killing me and this argument isn't worth it to me," he explained quietly.

"Tank, I would never betray you. I just need you to trust me," I sighed.

"I do, which is why I'm not going to bring this up again. I'm never going to like it but I'm just going to have to accept it," he said as he grabbed my hand across the table.

"Thank you," I said squeezing his hand back. I wanted him to admit he was wrong and out of line. Part of me wanted to keep fighting. I was right damnit! But looking into his eyes I remembered something that I heard a long time ago from Jackie, a woman I used to share a corner with. You can't help how you feel, but you sure as shit can help how you act. Tank can't help that he's jealous, but at least he's gonna stop being such an ass about it.

"I got you something," he said as he pulled out an envelope and handed it to me.

I opened it up to see two tickets for Trenton's annual food and wine festival. I've always wanted to go, but every year I've been too busy with school and work.

"Tank! I'm so excited! Thank you!" I said as I jumped up and ran around the table to hug him. Tank affectionately pulled me into his lap and kissed me.

"Take whoever you want. It's a peace offering," he said as he squeezed me.

"I want to go with you!" I exclaimed.

I was shocked he would even think that I would want to take someone else. "I always want it to be you. But you need your space and you're right, it's not healthy for us to spend every free second with each other. I like hanging out with Alex and Erik and it helped expand my social circle, but that doesn't mean that I don't want to hang out with you," I explained.

"I just felt so cut out of your life the last few weeks. You always had these plans with other people. I know I said I needed space and that you had to do more things without me but I didn't think it would go this far. I love you and I miss you," he said.

"It's just hard to guess Tank. There are days when you come home and just want to be alone so then I start making plans and then you decide you want me around. I feel like I'm constantly being jerked around and I don't like it," I said as I leaned back against him.

"You're right. Maybe we need to come up with a schedule, this way you don't feel jerked around, I can still have the space that I need and we can also make sure that our time together is a priority," he suggested.

I thought about that for a moment. A schedule just sounds so unromantic and lame. At the same time, I didn't want to continue going that way that we were with lots of accusations and resentments building.

"Let's give it a shot. What the hell?" I said.

"Still want me to come to the festival with you? Or are you gonna ask Tanner?" Tank asked with a smile.

"Fuck Tanner! I wanna go with my man," I answered.

"That's all I wanted to hear," Tank said as he leaned down to kiss me.

I felt warm all over; I missed my man. I kissed him back and then whispered that I would clean up later. Tank took his cue and lifted me easily to carry me upstairs so we could continue making up properly.

Steph's POV

I had shaved, waxed, lotioned and polished my body to hygenic levels of epic proportion. I straightened my hair for the occasion and was wearing a sexy black dress and some amazing black FMPs. I was feeling sexy and confident. Too bad my date wasn't with Ranger.

I was waiting outside a French Bistro for Erik Tanner. Lula, Alex and Elaina were already inside. They were occupying a table that was going to be next to the one where Erik and I were going to be dining. Alex also planted a bug and they all had ear pieces in so they could hear our conversation. I thought this was a little much but Alex just seemed so damn excited it, I didn't want to rain of her parade. She really needs to get out more.

Apparently Erik Tanner has developed quite the crush on Jeanne Ellen Burrows and needs to brush up on his dating skills. I got the lucky job of playing his "date" because Erik didn't want to use Alex considering she was pregnant. He thought it would be too weird. Lula and Tank had finally come to an agreement about Lula's friendships with men but she said she wasn't ready to push it with a fake date.

Elaina…well Elaina just said no. It's a shame because I thought she would be the perfect one to practice for Jeanne Ellen considering they have similar personalities (i.e., they can be cold bitches). But Elaina isn't acting like herself lately and she seems to be going through some stuff. Erik told me that they went running the other day and Elaina confessed that neither her parents nor Bobby's seemed to be supportive of their marriage. Erik said she was almost in tears and it was the strangest thing he's ever seen.

We all decided that she needed a break so we're going to dinner and then out dancing where we'll meet up with the guys. I agreed to this fake date after a decent amount of begging by Erik and also the promise of a dessert and a free dinner.

Carlos was less then pleased but he knows better than to try and stop me. He also felt better once I invited him to meet up with us afterwards.

"Hey!" Erik called out as he walked up to the restaurant. "Sorry I'm late. I couldn't figure out what to wear," he admitted sheepishly.

"It's fine. Just make sure you have your clothes already picked out before your real date so you won't be late," I explained.

My eyes wandered up and down Erik's outfit, charcoal gray pants, white with blue striped dress shirt and a blue tie…not bad. His blond hair was short with just a little gel. He looked really good.

"You look nice," I said smiling at him.

"Thanks, buddy," he said punching me in the shoulder.

"Okay. Don't do that with her when you see her," I said as I rubbed my shoulder.

"How should I greet her? Like a hug? That seems weird," he said.

"Try this," I said as I leaned him and gave him a quick peck on the check with a light hand on his arm.

"Is that too much?" he asked nervously. _Oh Christ. This is going to be a long night_.

"No, just don't linger and don't push your body up against hers. Give her personal space but a quick kiss on the cheek hints that it's more than casual," I explained.

"Got it. I can do that," he said nodding.

"Let's go inside," I suggested. Erik went first and swung the door open to enter. I grabbed him by the back of the collar and yanked him back. "Hold the door for your date," I hissed.

"Right. Sorry," he said with a grimace.

We finally sat at our table and were looking over the menu. I have been waiting for some sort of innocuous compliment from Erik but it wasn't coming. I tried flipping my hair to see if he notice it was straightened and smoothing my dress before we sat to see if he could take a hint.

He couldn't.

"Erik, at some point it would be a good idea to compliment her," I suggested.

"Your tits look absolutely amazing in that dress. They look like their probably a size bigger than the really are," he said.

I heard Elaina audibly groan after she heard that. I turned to look and all the women were looking at Erik shaking their heads.

"How about you tell her she looks pretty; we should keep it general until you get a little better at this," I said.

"I gave you a compliment. What the fuck is wrong with it?" he asked.

"It's sexual. It's a first date! If this was an actual date, one comment like that and I'd be out the door and you'd be dining alone. Also, cut the cursing. I know you all have terrible mouths but not on a date!" I said sharply.

"You should talk, you have a complete trash mouth," he said.

"Not. On. A. Date." I reiterated.

"Fine," he grumbled.

We ordered dinner and I suggested that Erik choose wine. We were working our way through polite conversation when I realized he was completely staring at my chest.

"Hey!" I said snapping my fingers in front of his face. "Keep your eyes on your date's face. Otherwise, she's going to assume you only want one thing. It's also rude," I said as I folded my arms over my breasts.

"Sorry. Fuck! Why is this so hard?" he asked.

"Maybe you're just nervous. Why don't you relax and really pretend that I'm Jeanne Ellen. Talk to me like you're planning to talk to her," I said.

Erik let out a breath but seemed to visibly relax through the rest of dinner. I asked him questions about his job and his childhood. I told him to stay away from the issue of his son until another date or so. He was funny and at times, dare I say…charming.

After dessert the other women came over to join us and all gave Erik some pointers but we all agreed that he was ready to ask Jeanne Ellen out.

After what was not the worst date of my life, we all piled into our cars to head out to the bar where we were supposed to meet up with the rest of the guys. When we walked in they were easy to spot considering Lester's height and Tank's presence in general.

Carlos looked me up and down slowly before walking over to kiss me hello. "You went out with another man dressed like that?" he asked with a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"I did. Are you planning on doing something about it?" I asked back in a whispered voice.

"Oh, you will be punished, Babe. And, I'm really going to enjoy it," he whispered in my ear as he took my ear lobe between his teeth sending shivers down my spine. "Are you sure you want to stay?" he asked.

I wasn't so sure. I love when Carlos feels the need to punish me; I always end up enjoying it. I looked around at everyone else and then reminded myself that we were out with our friends tonight and we were going to have a good time. My punishment could wait.

I guess.

"Just for a little while," I said smiling at him. He groaned and kissed me again.

"How'd he do?" he finally asked me.

"Little rough at first with the arm punching, lack of door holding, sexual compliments and cursing but I think we straightened him out. He might actually have a chance with Jeanne Ellen," I said.

Carlos let out a bark of laughter. "He really punched you in the arm?" he asked.

"Yep, and I guarantee he would've done the same with her if I hadn't told him not to," I said.

Alex was dressed in a fitted red dress which showed off her growing bump. She looked really good and so cute. I felt my hand travel down to my own stomach as I watched her. I felt a strange longing and for the first time since my marriage to my ex, I realized I might actually want children. Carlos having ESP was looking down at my hand and gave me a 200 Watt smile.

"Back off! I'm still thinking," I hissed.

"Babe," he replied with another smile and a shake of his head as he guided me to the bar to buy me a drink.

We were all hanging out, sipping drinks when I saw Alex jump up and run over to greet someone.

"Jeanne!" she called out as she went over to Jeanne Ellen who was standing there in dark jeans, black boots and a backless black shirt. It was a lot of black but at least it wasn't all leather, like her usual work attire.

"Oh holy fuck!" Erik whispered nervously in my ear. "What the hell are you guys doing to me?" he continued desperately.

"Hey! I didn't know Alex was planning this. Just relax and remember everything we talked about: kiss her cheek, compliment her, don't fucking curse!" I whispered back.

Alex was hugging Jeanne Ellen and then led her to our group where everyone proceeded to hug and kiss cheeks. I think this helped Erik relax a little. He gently leaned over and kissed her cheek.

"You look amazing," he said.

I couldn't help but smile. That was _so_ much better than "Your tits look bigger."

"Thanks. You clean up nicely," Jeanne said back. Erik looked slightly startled by the compliment. I gently nudged him.

"Can I buy you a drink?" he asked.

"Sure," Jeanne said with a toss of her hair. _Jeanne Ellen just tossed her hair at a man! Jeanne Ellen is flirting with Erik Tanner!_

I did the best I could at hiding my amazement but Carlos read it all over my face and couldn't help but grin at me.

We spent the rest of the night dancing, laughing and watching Erik Tanner put the moves on Jeanne Ellen. They were laughing, touching and playing some casual grab ass while dancing. I'd say he was pretty much in when I saw them talking on the couch, her knees in between his with his hand resting on her thigh.

Carlos and I were dancing to a slower song and I couldn't help but watch Alex and Les. He was holding his wife tenderly in his arms. His hand would gently move from her hip to her growing stomach and he would look at her with such love and devotion, it made my heart ache.

I wanted to have a cute little belly and Carlos looking at me in awe that I'm growing his child inside me. _Being pregnant and having a baby are two very different things, _I reminded myself. Did I want children? Could I really love someone more than I love Carlos? Could Carlos…Ranger be my husband? What kind of husband would he be?

I know how much Carlos loves me. I have no doubt. We have an amazing relationship but is it the type of relationship I would want with a husband and child? He's always working. Work always comes first. I can accept that as his girlfriend. I'm not so sure I could do it as his wife and mother of his child.

Carlos felt the change in my mood and pulled me closer. "You alright?" he asked.

"Of course," I tried reassuring him. I wasn't ready for this conversation, not in public and definitely not after drinking.

I glanced around at the other couples, all my best friends. Alex and Les were both glowing with happiness, snuggled up in each other's arms. Lula was talking a mile a minute to Tank who was beaming down at her, laughing at whatever she was saying. Bobby was gripping Elaina like she was going to disappear if he let go. He had his blank face on. Elaina's mind was far away and from what I could tell, it wasn't on anything pleasant.

I wondered what they all saw looking at me and Carlos. I hoped they saw a couple madly in love and not a couple at a major crossroads.

I tightened my grip on the man that I love. I refuse to let go.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N – Everything you recognize is JE's, everything you don't is mine but feel free to play if the mood strikes you.**

**So SORRY for the delay! I moved from Washington DC to Charleston WV and was without internet for over a week. I finally got it back yesterday. I owe a GIANT THANK YOU to VaBabe who turned, not one but two chapters, around in 24 hrs…ridiculous right? Esp, considering my habit of writing really long chapters!**

**I'm currently revising the next chapter and will probably post it tomorrow, if not then by Monday at the absolute latest (I'm going to be busy exploring my new city this weekend!).**

Chapter 16

Steph's POV

I stumbled through the door to our apartment almost landing completely on my ass.

"Babe," Carlos said as he grabbed my arm to steady me.

"Whoops," I giggled as I tried to get my shoes off.

"Someone had more than three drinks," he noted.

"This guy!" I said, pointing at myself. "I had six!" I grinned proudly.

"I can see that," he said with a grin.

I started pulling on Carlos's shirt, trying to get it off of him. _Stupid shirt. Why are there so many buttons? Stupid buttons. _

"Babe, you sure you're up to this?" he said as he stopped my hands and started undoing the buttons himself.

"You said you were going to punish me! That's all I've thought about all night!" I said. Well, more liked whined.

"I think the way your head is going to feel tomorrow may be punishment enough," he said gently.

"Why won't you just fuck me!" I demanded.

"Babe, I don't have a problem sleeping with you. I've just been down this road before and you tend to pass out as soon as your head hits the pillow and then I'm left with blue balls," he explained.

I reached down and grabbed him, causing him to moan. "I'm not passing out Ranger. I want you and I want you now," I said forcefully.

"How many drinks did you say you had again?" he groaned as I began stroking him.

"Just six," I responded as I started kissing his neck. _Or was it seven? Do shots count? Oh! And I had wine with dinner. Uh oh. _

"Shit," I said as I pulled away from him.

"Babe?" he asked quizzically.

I ran as fast as my drunken legs could carry me and almost didn't make it. All the drinks, as well as dinner made a reappearance into the toilet. And then more came out. And then I'm pretty sure I lost my liver.

I groaned. _I hate booze. I hate shots. I hate wine. I hate myself. I'm never drinking again._

I felt something cool on the back on my neck. Carlos was squatting down next to me and using a cold cloth to clean my face.

"You alright?" he asked softly.

"Yeah. Maybe I'm not in the mood after all," I said.

"Babe," he replied with a smile and a shake of his head.

Erik's POV

I walked into RangeMan on Monday with a spring in my step. I felt like I was floating on air and couldn't keep the smile off my face. I practically skipped past the control room, not caring what the other guys thought as I entered the break room, I saw Steph standing by the water cooler talking to Alex.

I walked over, took her face roughly in my hands and planted a giant kiss on her lips.

"Thank you," I said grinning at her.

"I take it you enjoyed your evening out," she replied with a small smile.

"What about me?" Alex asked grinning.

"Don't even fucking think about it," Les said as he walked over to stand next to his wife.

I gave Alex a kiss on the head before Lester placed his arm possessively around her shoulders.

"Killjoy!" Alex said as she stuck out her tongue at Lester.

"So when are you guys going out?" Steph asked as she poured us both coffee.

"I dunno, I haven't heard back from her yet," I replied.

Alex's brow furrowed. "You didn't ask her out when you dropped her off?" she asked.

"Nope, she asked me upstairs and my mind was sort of focused on other things for the next few hours," I said grinning.

"Erik!" Steph moaned.

"What? She asked _me_!" I pointed out.

"Have you spoken to her since?" Alex asked.

"I texted her a few times and called once. She just hasn't gotten back to me. She told me before I left her apartment that she was busy over the weekend trying to get a line one a high bond skip," I said.

Steph and Alex exchanged knowing looks.

"What?" I asked.

"I think you had a one night stand," Steph explained.

"No! I like this woman, I want to take her out," I argued. I wasn't just using her for sex. Although, the sex was fucking hot. _Those long tan legs locked around my waist. Her large soft breasts and gorgeous erect nipples. Shit._ I was getting hard just thinking about it.

"You may like her, but she might not be into you. If a woman goes home with a guy the first night it's usually a sign that she's not looking for more than a onetime thing," Steph said.

"No. That's the way men think," Les jumped in. "Trust me, I've had hundreds of one nighters, I'm an expert," Les said.

Alex and Steph performed matching eye rolls.

"Most women think the same way. If a woman really likes a guy, she's going to want to take things a little slower to make sure he's really into her. If he bails the first night because she won't go home with him, she knows he was only after one thing. If he's willing to put the time and effort into dating her for a little while, she knows it's something more," Alex explained.

"Is that why you jumped me the second you were back in town?" Lester asked as he leered at his wife.

"I originally only wanted one thing from you," Alex said smirking back at her husband as her hand reached down and grabbed a handful of his ass.

"You're lucky you're hot," Les replied with a glare.

"Why don't we go back to four and I'll make it up to you," she whispered, unfortunately loud enough for both Steph and I to hear it. Lester's arm traveled down Alex's back and rested on her ass as his gaze locked onto hers. They clearly forgot about the rest of us.

"Jesus! Give it a rest," Steph said with the shake of her head.

"Yeah! I thought we were actually talking about my problem!" I pointed out.

"Sorry, I just have a really sexy husband and these damn hormones keep distracting me," Alex apologized without ever looking away from Les, who was now beaming down at her like a fucking idiot.

These two were becoming really annoying. I liked them better when Lester was walking around complaining about his perpetual hard on and Alex was bent over the toilet all day, puking her guts out.

"You're going to have a harder time getting her to take you seriously now. But you may still be able to save this," Steph said.

"Tell me. I really like her and I definitely want to have a repeat of Friday night. Multiple repeats," I said.

"Well first off, keep it in your pants for the time being," Steph said sharply.

"What! That's bullshit. We've already had sex, but now we have to slow things down? That makes no sense!" I argued.

"You want a chance at her or not?" Alex asked.

"Fuck! Fine. Then what?" I asked.

"You need to ask her out in person. Right now she's probably looking at the texts debating if she wants a fuck buddy but probably still doesn't see you as a potential boyfriend. Let's go by Les Sebring's tomorrow and you can ask her out there. But stop texting and calling for now, you're coming off as a little desperate," Steph said patting my shoulder.

"I look _desperate_! This is fucking unbelievable! Why didn't you explain all this shit on our stupid practice date!" I asked glaring at her.

"Who knew you were this clueless about women? How did you ever end up married?" Steph asked.

"We started dating when we were sixteen. I haven't been in a relationship since," I shrugged.

"Oh Erik!" Alex exclaimed as her eyes got watery.

"Shit Ace! It's nothing to cry over!" I said as I recoiled from her tears.

Les let out a bark of laughter. "Relax man, she can't help it. We were watching 'News Night' two nights ago and they covered the shooting of Congress woman Gabby Giffords and even though Alex clearly knows she makes it in the end, she spent the entire episode bawling hysterically," he explained.

Alex sniffled then pulled herself together.

"Don't worry Erik. I only had one real relationship in college before Lester," Alex said giving my hand a squeeze.

"Yeah and I popped Ranger's cherry," Steph said.

All three of us paused and turned to look at her quizzically.

"Relationship wise," she added as an explanation.

"Right," I said slowly. "So my best bet is just to ask her out in person?" I asked.

"You catch her off guard, perhaps she'll be a little flustered and end up saying yes," Alex said.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Sweetheart," I said sarcastically.

"It's your own fault for going home with her on the first night!" Steph said.

"All right, all right! I'm gonna try it your way, okay? Now can we go chase some bad guys or something? I'm starting to feel like a fucking chick with all this relationship shit," I said as I shifted uncomfortably.

"Alright Erik. You don't have to get your panties in knot," Steph said with a grin.

I let out a groan. My life was a lot simpler when I only used women for one thing.

Tank's POV

Something is rotten in the state of RangeMan.

Ranger has been disappearing. Not for long, usually no more than an hour or so, but it happens regularly, almost every other week.

Bobby, Lester and I have been trying to figure it out. He takes off around two while Steph is usually knee deep in searches without saying anything to anyone and he disables the tracker on his vehicle. I know that Ranger is crazy about Bomber but when a man starts behaving this suspiciously it's usually because of another woman.

Bobby, Lester and I had a private meeting in my office.

"I'll fucking break his arm if he's cheating on Bomber," Bobby growled.

"Just his arm? We should break every bone and have Steph rip off his dick," Lester seethed.

"If he is with another woman, we'll go in there, drag his ass out and then beat the sense back into his fucking head," I assured them both. "And then we will keep it quiet around RangeMan, we'll call Steph in for a meeting. We will protect her and make sure she's okay," I promised.

"If it's true she can stay at Elaina's apartment, since we barely use it. I don't want her feeling like she's trapped here," Bobby said.

Lester nodded.

"We all know the plan? He's not going to be easy to follow but we can do it. I've already arranged for rental cars so our RangeMan vehicles won't be detected," I said.

"Operation Avenge Beautiful is a go," said Lester.

We disbursed and within thirty minutes were in our positions. Bobby came over the two-way to say that Ranger was heading out.

I watched as Ranger's vehicle left RangeMan and let two cars get a head of me before pursuing. Lester had eyes on his car as we started following him.

We pulled up to a strip mall and parked in the rear as we watched Ranger jump out of his car and head into a small shop_. I can't believe he's fucking some skank at her job. I'm going to kill him and then have Alex kill the skank once she delivers._ I can't bring myself to hit a woman but Alex wouldn't have a problem with it.

Lester, Bobby and I walked into the store, blank faces firmly in place. We made our way to the back of the store ignoring the startled looks from the women. I ripped back the curtain that broke the store into two areas.

Ranger's head shot up, his eyes wide with shock. "It's not what you think!" he said desperately.

"I think, it's exactly what we think," Bobby said looking completely shell shocked.

Lester let out a roaring laugh. "I can't believe you get fucking pedicures!" Les said as he doubled over.

Ranger was sitting in a chair, his feet in a basin with a tiny woman crouched on a stool in front working on his feet.

I started to shake with laughter. "Big, bad, Ranger Manoso has soft feet," I chuckled with a head shake.

Bobby was grinning ear to ear. "Why the fuck didn't I bring my cell phone? I needed a picture of this," he said.

"I would shoot you. Literally shoot you," Ranger warned. "And don't knock it till you try. Tank, aren't you always complaining about your back? These chairs massage the shit out of you. Bobby, don't you get foot cramps from training? They will rub them for you. I bet Elaina doesn't do that. And Lester, doesn't Alex say your feet are scary?" he asked.

"She says they're the only non-pretty thing about me," Lester replied with a grin.

"Well then gentlemen, I suggest you man the fuck up and try it. Unless your egos are too fragile and you're not secure enough in your masculinity," he taunted.

Well, since we've been called out...

Bobby, Lester and I were ushered to different chairs by these little women where we quickly lost our shoes and socks. Our pants were rolled up and our feet were dipped in warm water.

My little woman flipped a switch and then chair began kneading my back. "Fuck," I groaned in pleasure.

"Right?" Ranger said with a grin.

We were about half way through with our pedicures when the curtain was pulled back again and in walked Steph, Elaina, Alex and Lula.

The women were all chatting but abruptly froze at the sight of us. Then we froze when they froze.

_SHIT._

"What the…" Lula trailed off as her mouth fell open.

"It's not what it looks like?" I tried in vain.

"This is the second most disturbing thing I've ever walked in on," Elaina said wide eyed. Lester cringed.

Alex simply lifted up her iPhone and snapped a picture while tilting her head slightly.

"This maybe the best day of my life," awed Stephanie.

"Babe," Ranger said with a cringe as he tried to get up.

"No, no, no boys. We don't want to disturb you" Steph said as she motioned for him to stay seated. "I was just telling the girls about this place last week and we decided to come together. There are plenty of chairs for us," Steph said as she struggled not to laugh.

The women walked to the empty chairs and began situating themselves.

"I for one am more than okay with this," Alex said as she sat by Lester. "Honey, you needed to do something about your scaly feet. I just want to know how you got talked into this," she asked looking at her husband.

"Ranger insulted our manhood," Lester explained as he squirmed uncomfortably.

"Of course he did," Elaina said with a shake of her head.

Bobby's POV

Elaina and I were sitting on the couch in our therapist's office. Lately, it feels like we spend more time sitting on this couch then cuddled up on our own. _Fucking couple's counseling_.

I was dressed in khakis and a blue button down. Elaina insists that I don't show up in my SWAT gear because she thinks it can be intimidating to people who don't know me. She doesn't want me scaring the shit out of everyone else in the waiting room.

I looked over at her. Her light hair was pulled back into a bun and she was dressed for work in a white blouse and a fitted charcoal skirt. She looked sexy. Like a naughty librarian_. Damnit Brown! Pay fucking attention! _I scolded myself.

I decided I was going to tell Elaina during counseling about the emails. I figured she was smart enough not to try and kill me in front of a witness, so this was my best bet.

"So is there anything else you would like to share or discuss today?" Dr. Berman asked.

"Actually, I have a confession," I started. Elaina looked over at me intently and Dr. Berman gave me the "go ahead" nod.

"You left your email open last week and I found the emails between you and John. I know that it was a complete invasion of privacy and I'm sorry about that. I wasn't intentionally going through them, I just was walking by and I saw the email and it was titled 'Reconsider'. I knew you talked to John about us and I just had this nasty feeling in my gut and I couldn't help myself. I wish you told me how your family was feeling about me. Or us for that matter," I said as I slowly reached down and took her hand.

"Elaina?" Dr. Berman encouraged.

"My family is pissed at Bobby for keeping secrets. They believe it's an awful way to start a marriage. I was keeping all this stuff from my parents but I talked to my brother about it and he felt the need to share it. Now my parents are furious and are boycotting the wedding," Elaina explained quietly as she stared down at her feet.

She slowly looked up at me and met my eyes. "I was hoping, I still hope, that they'll come around. We're already dealing with enough. I didn't want to put any more pressure on you," she said as she squeezed my hand.

"You two need to stop keeping secrets and stop trying to 'protect' each other. Elaina, you should've told Bobby about this, not just for him but for you too. He can be there to support you. You just need to let him," Dr. Berman said.

Elaina nodded. I squeezed her hand reassuringly. At least she didn't blow up about me going through her email…unless she was saving that for later.

"I also think it's time to explain why I didn't tell Elaina about my mother booking the Foster's and the guest list," I said. I took a deep breath and just let it out. "I was worried you would want to cancel or at least postpone the wedding after we got back from Charleston. I didn't want to put any more pressure on you. I was planning on telling you once we were in a better place and I was sure you really wanted to go through with it. I honestly don't give a shit where we marry. I just want to be with you. The only reason I've agreed to it was because I felt like it was my family's way of moving forward after a ten year estrangement. I wanted to show them that I was also ready to let go of the past." I explained as I began to rub the back of my neck.

"Bobby, if this wedding venue is a sincere sign of reconciliation in your family then of course we can get married there. I guess I don't really give a shit where we get married as long as we're together," she said with a wry smile.

"You've been amazing dealing with my family. I think I should do yours the same favor and agree to postpone the wedding. At least until they're more comfortable," I said slowly. I didn't want this, but I didn't want her to have to choose between me and her family.

To my surprise, instead of looking at me with love in her eyes, Elaina's blue eyes flashed with anger.

"Bobby, if you want to postpone our wedding because you're not sure you want to marry me that is one thing. But I am a grown woman and neither my family nor yours will ever dictate my life," she seethed.

"If my parents can't accept you and our marriage that is their problem and they don't have to come to the wedding. I think they'll eventually regret it and come around but I refuse to be bullied or manipulated by _anyone_. It's my life. I want to marry you. Are you in or not?" she asked dangerously.

Watching Elaina have this reaction was so fucking sexy. "Fuck yeah, I'm in," I said.

"Well times up. We'll pick this up next week," Dr. Berman said closing our session.

I grabbed Elaina's hand and quickly ran out of the office and pulled her into the empty elevator. I pushed her up against the wall as my mouth crashed onto hers. She moaned and kissed me back hard as her arms went around my neck pulling my closer. My hand slipped under her blouse and caressed her breast.

The elevator dinged and without speaking I pulled away, grabbed her hand and headed to the parking garage. My RangeMan vehicle was parked in the back and I clicked the unlock button and opened the back door. My hands went around Elaina's waist as I lifted her easily, tossing her into the back seat.

I climbed in after her and crawled on top of her, my mouth recapturing hers. We were both desperate and refused to wait. She ripped open my shirt sending buttons flying. I did the same to hers and began sucking on her neck while I played her nipple. She began moaning as she rubbed her lower half against my erection.

I ripped off her panties and pulled out my cock. Her skirt was too tight around her thighs. "I'll buy you a new one," I growled as I grasped the side where there was a modest slit and ripped, freeing her legs to wrap around me as I thrust into her hard.

"Oh god!" Elaina cried out as she arched her back. I continued to thrust hard as she moved in rhythm with me. She bit down on my shoulder as she came and then began sucking my neck as I continued thrusting. I cried out her name as I found my own release.

I kissed her gently as we caught our breaths. "Holy shit, Baby. I couldn't help myself after I watched you in Berman's office. You're so fucking hot when you get all fired up," I mumbled.

"You're not so bad yourself," she said. She kissed me softly and then gently pushed on my shoulders indicating that I should let her up. I looked at the state of her. Her hair was everywhere and there were distinct marks on her neck. Her shirt was unbuttoned, her bra was still on and so was her now ripped skirt.

I couldn't help but smile, she was so damn sexy when she lost control.

Ranger's POV

Lester, Woody and I were inspecting some of the RangeMan vehicles when Bobby pulled up. He and Elaina got out of the car. He walked around and took her hand.

"Holy shit," Woody said as he stared at Elaina's disheveled appearance.

Lester and I exchanged quick looks. Elaina shirt was unbuttoned exposing a lacey bra and her skirt was torn all the way up one leg exposing her black panties while she walked. Her neck was marked and her hair was down and mussed. She betrayed no emotion on her face, as if she didn't notice her appearance.

At first I thought she must have been attacked but Brown's shirt was hanging open and he also had some tell tale marks on his neck. Not to mention a giant shit-eating grin.

"Gentlemen," he greeted us as they walked past. He made sure to catch our eyes over her head and gave us a quick wink.

Elaina pretended she didn't see us as they climbed into the elevator.

"Wow," breathed Woody.

"You okay man?" Lester asked.

"I think I'm reconsidering my stance on marriage," he said as he stared after them.

**A/N – Apologies to all those who were expecting a Stephanie and Ranger sex scene at the beginning of this chapter (I'll be making it up to you shortly). When I sat down to write their scene it was the morning after my going away party and I was hungover as all hell and couldn't get my head around a sex scene, so I had Stephanie suffer as I was suffering (I'm such a bitch huh?).**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N – It's JE's world, I just play in it. She makes lots of money, I make none.**

**Thanks again to VaBabe for being an amazing beta and turning around chapter way faster than I'm able to write them! 2 Chapters in 24 hrs…you're amazing!**

**Thank you all for your patience and sticking with me so here's another chapter…this one has a little more substance since the last one was a bit more of fun. If you're just seeing this update, don't forget that chapter 16 was just posted yesterday and you need it as background for some of the moments in this one. Thanks again!**

Chapter 17

Steph's POV

It was over a week later before Erik and I headed over to Les Sebring's office. Erik was horrified that he was coming off as desperate and wanted to give Jeanne Ellen some space. Alex and I both agreed that this was a good idea. RangeMan magically got a call from Sebring's saying they had some files for us, so I volunteered to go pick them up. Erik, being my partner, would naturally be coming with me.

Erik and I casually walked into Sebring's. I went over to the receptionist to pick up the RangeMan files while Erik noticed that Jeanne Ellen was sitting on the couch, poring over files spread across the coffee table. I pretended not to notice as he approached her.

"Hey," Erik said casually.

Jeanne Ellen looked up and greeted Erik with a nod.

"Listen, I've been meaning to ask you. Can I take you to dinner sometime?" Erik asked.

_Good! Smooth, direct, right to the point. Yay Erik!_ I controlled my need for a little happy dance and kept pretending to listen to Sebring's secretary discuss where she got her hair color done.

Jeanne Ellen looked startled. "Excuse me?" she asked in a confused tone.

A small smile appeared on Erik's lips. He was pleased that she was a little flustered. "I want to take you out Jeanne. How about I pick you up at eight on Friday?" he suggested.

Jeanne Ellen shook her head no. "I can't," she said.

"Oh. Alright, well I guess I'll see you around," Erik said casually. He did a good job hiding his disappointment but I know my partner and he was completely crestfallen.

"Wait!" Jeanne Ellen called after him.

Erik stopped and slowly looked at Jeanne Ellen over his shoulder.

"I mean, I can't Friday. I'm going to be on a stake out, but I'm free Saturday, if you are," she said as she looked down at her feet.

_Holy hell! I think Jeanne Ellen Burrows may be blushing!_ I've never seen this woman not in complete control. When she lets her guard down you can actually see what a beautiful woman she really is.

Erik's smile widened as he turned to face Jeanne Ellen. Without saying anything he closed the distance between them and gently tilted her head up with his finger under her chin. He kissed her softly on the lips then replied, "Be ready at eight on Saturday. Wear something nice," he whispered.

Jeanne Ellen's face broke into a smile as she gave him a nod. Erik turned and looked at me. "Did you get the files?" he asked.

"Yep, we're ready to go," I said.

"See you Saturday," he said to Jeanne Ellen as he walked out the door. I gave her a friendly wave which she returned as I exited.

Once we were back in the car driving away from Sebring's I jumped across the dash and hugged Erik while he was driving.

"That was amazing! You were perfect!" I exclaimed.

Erik chuckled as he patted my arm affectionately. "I was feeling so confident till she said 'no'. I really thought I blew it until she stumbled and then told me she was free Saturday. She was nervous. I made her nervous," he said excitedly.

"I think she might like you," I said with a grin.

"Now what? What the hell do I do Saturday night?" he asked me.

"Take her to a nice dinner. Bring out the gentleman that I know is buried deep inside and most importantly, don't sleep with her," I answered.

"What happens if she wants to?" he asked. _Stupid boys, any excuse to get some. _

"Don't. Tell her you really like her and want to get to know her. Just wait a couple of dates," I said.

"A _couple_? Bomber, you gotta be fucking kidding me!" Erik groaned.

"Damnit Erik! Just use your goddamn hand! You act like I'm asking you to be celibate for a freaking year! What were you doing before you two met?" I snapped.

"Jerking off! My shrink told me I had to stop seeing women as sex objects so I stopped going to bars looking for one night stands. Then I met Jeanne Ellen and here was this gorgeous, sexy woman who I actually like and who wants to have sex with me, so I get to do it. And it was incredible! Now, you're saying I have to go back to jerking off even if this sex goddess wants to do it again!" he exclaimed.

"How much do you like her? Is she worth waiting for?" I asked.

"Fuck! I like her a lot, okay? Yes, she is worth waiting for but that doesn't mean I'm not going to be frustrated," he said.

"Welcome to the world of dating! Do you honestly think that Ranger, Tank, Bobby and Lester weren't frustrated when they first started dating their women?" I asked.

Erik snorted. "I know Lester wasn't. Alex admitted that they almost fucked on the floor of his townhouse the second day she was back in town before Lester carried her to the bedroom," Erik said.

"Well, first off, don't say 'fucked'; it makes my skin crawl. Second, Alex has dude hormones and is the exception, not the rule," I said.

"Yeah well, the world would be a better place if women like her were the rule rather than the exception," he argued.

"Too bad. Keep it in your pants if you want something more than a 'fuck buddy' with Jeanne Ellen," I said.

"How come you can say 'fuck' and I can't?" he asked me.

"Because it sounds far less crass coming out of my mouth," I explained.

This got me a groan and an eye roll.

"Damn, Tanner, that eye roll was almost Burg-worthy," I said with a smile.

Erik let out another groan.

Lester's POV

We were gathered in the conference room, just the partners and their women. Ranger, Bobby and I were about to go in the wind for a few weeks. Tank, deciding several years ago that he was done with contract work, would stay behind and run RangeMan in our absence. We were now preparing to tell our women.

I figured Alex wouldn't bat an eye. She used to go in the wind more than anyone and she's worked with us on missions before so she knows what we're capable of. Steph has been around and through this enough that she'd be able to accept it.

Bobby was worried about Elaina; she always struggles when he leaves. She hasn't quite gotten used to this aspect of our lifestyle yet. Bobby was particularly nervous considering the shaky ground he and Elaina have been on the past few weeks. They seem to be in a better place but Bobby said he was still nervous.

Ranger stood up to speak. "Ladies, we called you all here to inform you that Bobby, Lester and I are all going in the wind for a few weeks. Tank will remain here as always to run things. Lula, this means since Tank is going to be putting in some long hours, he will probably have to spend some nights here. You're welcome to, as well. There is an empty apartment on four," Ranger explained.

Lula glanced over at Tank. Without saying anything Tank reached over and took her hand and gave it a light squeeze.

"We'll manage just fine Ranger. Like we always do," Lula said reassuringly.

"Babe and Ace, we're going to need you both to attend some client meetings with Tank," Ranger continued.

"That's fine with me. I'm up to date on all the current clients but I'll make sure to review the files," Steph said easily. I knew she'd be okay. She's much tougher than people give her credit for.

"Elaina, if you could be available for an 'as needed' basis for the next few weeks we would be in your debt," he said.

"How long is a few weeks? Two? Four?" asked Elaina as she folded her arms. I could feel Bobby tense beside me. _Poor bastard._

"We should be back in three. We leave the day after tomorrow," Bobby answered quietly.

Elaina gave a curt nod. "That's fine. I can rearrange my schedule so I'll have a little more availability," Elaina answered reasonably. _What the fuck? I wonder if she's saving it for later. I bet he's going to have a new asshole the next time I see him._

"Angel, I know you've been helping out in the office and that Tank is going to need even more help with us being gone. But I want you to be very careful not to over exert yourself. You had a rough first trimester and I want you to rest as much as you can. If Tank tells you to go home and rest, you do it. Consider it a direct order," I said firmly.

Alex's face was blank and she was staring at the table, not moving or speaking.

"Lester, I will watch out for your woman and your child. She will be taken care of, I promise you," Tank said to me.

I knew Tank would take good care of her, but I still worry. Alex still hasn't seemed to quite wrap her mind around being pregnant. It concerns me. She has a growing belly and admits that she can feel the baby move but she still doesn't seem to feel the connection. I already love that damn kid, and we haven't even met yet. I know I would die for my child or kill for them. I know she would too, but right now it feels she would out of obligation instead of love.

Alex takes very good care of herself and our child. Not one thing has past her lips that isn't organic and full of nutrients. She hasn't once given into cravings. She works out daily, does yoga, plays music for the baby, reads out loud and does everything that baby books instruct her to do, but again, she does it out of obligation. I can tell she feels guilty about not loving our child the way I do. I can also tell she's trying but she's really struggling and I'm hoping that the maternal feeling will hit her soon.

I'm dying to find out the sex but Alex has been avoiding it. She's been so emotionally unstable and flips her shit so easily this trimester that I don't want to push it.

I sat watching my stoic wife and to my surprise tears started running down her face. Everyone in the room froze. The tears streamed faster and then Alex finally broke down sobbing.

"Angel, please," I whispered desperately, as I pulled her out of her chair and into my lap. "You know that I would never take a mission that I didn't think we could do. I promise you that I will be back and I will be retiring once the baby is born. I love you both more then you'll ever know and I promise that I'll come back," I said softly gently rocking Alex in my arms.

She raised her head and looked at me with a confused expression. "Of course you'll be back! This is only a Level 3 mission!" she exclaimed.

Ranger cleared his throat and shot her a warning look. We're not supposed to talk about this stuff. The missions we take are Levels 1-5, 1 being the least dangerous and 5 being the most. We regularly take 4s and 5s. Alex is usually offered only 5s considering the agency has plenty of agents qualified for 4s.

"Why are you crying then? What's wrong sweetheart?" I asked.

More tears began to fall as Alex bit her lip. "Please Angel, talk to me," I begged.

"I want to go!" she finally choked out, as she continued to sob. "I should be going. I'm never the one that gets left behind," she admitted.

Tank snorted and Bobby shook his head attempting to hide his grin. _My crazy fucking wife isn't worried about me being killed in action. She's upset because she's missing the action. That's what you get for marrying an ex-spy. She's jealous that I'm walking into some dangerous shit and will probably be shot at. What the fuck am I supposed to do now?_

"Alex, I promise Lula, Elaina and I will keep you busy. The time will fly by and Les will be home before you know it. You've also been busting your ass so you'll be back in shape and ready to accept missions in no time once the baby is born," Steph said helpfully.

_Ahh…What? Alex is retiring. Not to mention it's not like she could go back right away because of the breast feeding. _I wanted to bring up these points but being married has taught me several things, one being that timing can be everything when bringing up a topic that you two may not agree on_. Too bad she can't drink. Getting her wine drunk before discussing her retirement would be extremely beneficial. _

I bit my tongue as Alex slowly nodded. She slipped her arms around my neck and rested her head on my chest as I rubbed her back.

Ranger continued discussing the client meetings that Steph was going to be attending and the types of issues he wanted Elaina involved in. Everyone was listening very intently and taking notes…accept for Alex and me.

She was still in my lap and I found my hand absently rubbing her thighs. I was tracing small circles with my fingertips and Alex shifted so her little black wrap dressed shifted higher exposing more of the legs. She then moved her hips and I hissed as I tried to control the hard on I was now sporting. Alex was clearly enjoying the feeling and continued moving, ever so slightly. I grabbed her hips roughly trying to keep her still. She then discretely reached down and stroked me. _Fuck! _She gently took my hand and brought in between her legs where she slipped my hand into her panties and let me feel how ready she was. I suppressed a moan and clenched my teeth as I fought for control. _This woman is going to be the death of me. _We already had sex three times last night and once this morning and now she's ready to go again.

"Oh!" Alex exclaimed as she laid a hand on her stomach. Everyone in the room turned to look as her. "I'm suddenly not feeling well. Tank could you just shoot me an email with what clients I'll be meeting with and I'll do the research later?" Alex asked looking pitiful.

"Of course, Ace. Go lie down and take care of yourself," Tank said with a nod.

Alex got up smoothly with her hand still resting on her stomach and walked out of the room.

I waited approximately two minutes.

"I'm gonna go and make sure she's alright," I said. Ranger gave me a nod excusing me. I raced out of the room and down the stairs to four where I flew into my apartment. I walked to the bedroom to find Alex in nothing but her bra and panties sitting on the bed.

"I'm feeling better," she said with a wicked grin.

"You're going to feel fucking fantastic once I'm through with you," I said as I pulled off my shirt and tackled my wife to the bed.

Did I mention that I love being married?

Ranger's POV

I have something special planned for Steph. I always try and do something nice for her before going in the wind. Before we got together I used to just show up at her place in the middle of the night and let her know that I would be leaving for awhile. She fucking hated that.

Now, I try to be as open as I can be about these things. I try and tell her as soon as I know and I try to show her how much I appreciate her understanding. I'm not getting any younger and I only have a few more years of this shit before I'm going to need to pull the plug.

I decorated the roof deck at RangeMan with candles, cushions and blankets. I also had strawberries (for me), chocolate (for her) and champagne. Tonight would be special. I couldn't believe it but I actually had knots in my stomach. I slowly led Steph up the stairs, she was blind folded and kept giggling. I could tell she was excited.

When we got to the top I removed the blind fold.

"Carlos!" she exclaimed. "It's beautiful! I can't believe you went to all this trouble. Please tell me you didn't make Ella do all this," Steph said with a laugh.

"Of course not, Babe. I did it," I said as I slipped my arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder.

She turned in my arms to face me. "Thank you. You didn't have to do all this," she whispered and then rose up on her toes to kiss my lightly in the lips.

"Yes, I did," I answered back.

She grinned as I led her by the hand and we settled onto some cushions and looked at the stars.

"Champagne?" I asked.

"Please!" she said enthusiastically.

I opened the champagne and poured us glasses. Steph sipped hers as we continued to look at the stars in comfortable silence. She suddenly looked at me with a smile.

"Babe?" I asked quizzically.

"Put the glass down Carlos," she said.

I raised my eyebrows at her.

"Put. The. Glass. Down," she reiterated.

I placed my glass on the side table next to hers. As soon as my glass was down she launched herself at me. I caught her in my arms and fell back on the cushions as her mouth crashed onto mine. I felt a moan escape my throat. My Babe can kiss. She was sucking on my tongue and nibbling my bottom lip. I wasn't planning on this till a little later this evening but I was willing to adjust my schedule.

Steph sat me up and pulled off my t-shirt as I yanked off her tank top. It was the night before I was supposed to leave; she clearly didn't want to waste time. Our lips came back together as she straddled my lap and began grinding her hips. _Dios._ _We need to slow things down a little if I'm going to last._

I pushed Steph back against the cushions and unbuttoned her jeans and pulled them down over her hips then off her gorgeous long legs. We went back to kissing and I finally broke away so my mouth could explore other parts of her body. I kissed down her neck and her collarbone. I savored the taste of her skin.

I reached behind her back and made quick work of her bra and began using my tongue on her nipples as she arched her back and sighed beautifully. I continued massaging her breasts as I kissed down her stomach. Steph ran her hands down my shoulders and into my hair encouraging me. I grabbed the little string sides of her panties and removed them. _Shit, she is beautiful! _

I kissed her inner thighs and teased her while she squirmed under my grasp, pushing me to start kissing that one particular spot. Once I finally relented, Steph came undone in moments. Her crying out my name has to be the best sound I've ever heard. I kissed back up her body and she pushed me back so she could be on top of me.

When we came together, Steph began circling her hips while I got to watch her work. I love this position. It lets me see all of her, and it's sexy as hell when she's in control. I love to be the dominate one but every now and then I like it when my woman shows me what she's made of and tonight is one of those nights.

I felt Steph tighten around me as she came and I finally let myself go once she had her release. We lay entangled against the cushions with a blanket thrown casually over us, looking up at the sky. I kissed her hair and thought about how lucky I was to have her. It took, what feels like forever, for us to finally get it together. I can't help but kick myself whenever I think about all the time we wasted dancing around each other, denying how important we really were to each other.

I reached back and grabbed my jeans and fished in the pocket until I found what I was looking for.

"This isn't exactly the way I planned it. I thought we'd at least be dressed," I explained giving her a small smile.

Her brow furrowed.

"Babe, I've never loved anyone the way that I love you. I didn't think it was possible to even have a relationship until you opened my eyes to how good life can be if you actually let it. You're my light and I can't imagine my life without you. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?" I asked as I opened up the ring box I had hidden in my pants.

Steph's mouth was hanging open and she actually looked a little pale.

"Ranger-" she started but stopped when she realized she didn't call me Carlos. _Ranger? That's not good._

"Carlos, I love you and I want to be your wife. I just can't say yes. I'm okay with the way things are now, but I know that I would start to resent you if our lives continued this way and I was your wife and especially if we had children," she said quietly.

_What the hell?_

"Explain," I said.

"Work comes first. I get it, I do. I knew this when we got involved and as your girlfriend I've accepted it. But now we're talking marriage and children. I can't be second in a marriage. Our children can't come after work. I love you and I don't want to end up resenting you," she explained as tears fell from her bright blue eyes.

_Is this how she sees our relationship? That work is more important to me then she is? I know I'm busy but she must realize that she's the most important thing in my life. _

"How can I prove to you that you're not second?" I asked as I grasped her hands.

She shook her head as tears continued down her cheeks. "I don't know," she whispered.

I couldn't take it anymore. I needed to get out of there. "I need some time," I told her.

She nodded as she continued to cry and I felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest. I went back to seven and threw on gym clothes and headed down to the gym to beat the shit out of a punching bag. The gym was quiet when I got there except for the sounds of someone else hitting a bag. _Definitely a female considering the sounds of the grunts. _

I walked around the bag and found Elaina's tiny form working on a bag. I watched her for a moment. Her form was considerably better. _She'd been training._

"Elaina?" I called out. She let out a yelp and jumped a mile, spinning around. I realized she had her iPod on.

"Carlos! What the hell are you doing here?" she asked as she regained her composure.

"I might ask you the same thing, considering Bobby is also leaving in the morning," I asked to avoid the question.

"Woody might have food poisoning; Bobby is checking him out. I figured I'd come down and work on some of the things Steph and Alex have been teaching me," she answered. "Your turn," she pushed.

My blank face slammed down as my jaw tightened. I just stared her down.

"That bad, huh?" she said with a shake of her head.

"I asked Steph to marry me. She said no," I answered quietly.

Elaina's head shot up in surprise. "Carlos, I am so sorry. I can't even believe it; she loves you so much," she said in astonishment.

"She said she loves me but can't be second to my job as my wife and possibly the mother of my children," I explained.

Elaina's expression changed from shock to knowing.

"You agree with her?" I asked as I studied her face.

"I get her point of view," she said carefully.

"Well, how the hell do I prove that she's more important to me than work? I tell her I love her every damn day. I try to tell her how important she is to me all the time. What does she want?" I asked as I ran my hands through my hair.

"You can't tell her; you need to show her. Let me ask you some things. When was the last time you two went away together?" she asked.

"We went to Miami a few months ago for a week," I answered.

"RangeMan has an office if Miami; did you go for business or pleasure?" she asked.

"Both," I said.

"So…you spent how much time at work and how much time with her, not working ?" Elaina asked.

I know that I spent the majority of time working. At least 75% of our time in Miami was spent at work. I didn't even have to answer. Elaina was studying my face.

"That's what I thought," she said quietly with a small shake of her head. We stood more a moment quietly. "Let me ask you something else, do you consider us friends?" she suddenly asked me.

_What the fuck?_

Elaina is Bobby's woman, but I have to admit that besides Stephanie and female relatives, Elaina was my closest female relationship. "Of course. Why do you ask?" I inquired.

"You know where my apartment is. I've been to Tank and Lula's and Alex and Lester's plenty of times. I've even been by Steph's old place but I have no idea where you live, when you're not on seven. Don't you think that's strange?" she asked.

I didn't respond.

"Okay, new approach. When was the last time you had the guys over?" she asked.

Bobby, Lester and Tank came over when I was hiding out from the police two years ago during the Ramos mess. "Two years," I answered.

"Was this social or business?" she asked.

I didn't answer.

"This is exactly what she's talking about. She wants less Ranger and more Carlos. What do you want?" Elaina asked as she sat down on the mats. I followed her lead and also took a seat.

"I want that. I'm just not sure how to do it. I would do anything for her, I can't lose her," I said earnestly.

"Well maybe when you get back you should look into hiring some administrative assistants. You guys all want to be in the field and hate paperwork. Being bosses you're always going to have some paperwork but if you train a couple of talented and competent admins you'll be able to have more free time," she suggested.

_Administrative assistants? Less paperwork. I could get on board with that. _

"What else?" I asked.

"Why not start inviting people to your place? Make Steph feel like it's her home too. Start small, maybe just the guys over for a game or a small dinner party. Then eventually invite her family over. Also, why not have Julie stay with you two when she comes to visit instead of your mother? We all know how important Julie is to you, now it's time to put work aside when she comes to visit and show Steph that family does come first for you," Elaina said.

I thought about everything she was saying and it didn't sound completely unreasonable.

"Anything else?" I asked with a small smile spreading to my lips.

"Yeah. Get your ass back up stairs and tell Stephanie that you're ready to make some changes. Tell her that you understand why she can't say yes yet, but you're hoping you'll be able to prove to her how serious you are so that the next time you ask, she'll be ready to say yes," she said returning my smile.

I sighed and got up. I held out my hand and pulled Elaina to her feet and crushed her in a hug.

"Thank you," I whispered into her hair.

"Any time. Now get out of here!" she said with a playful shove.

Elaina was right. I was going to prove to Steph that I could be the husband she needed. I'd rather dismantle my company brick by brick then lose her. Now, I just have to convince her that I mean what I say.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N- JE owns everything you recognize!**

**Special thanks to my beta, VaBabe who been uber busy but still makes time for this massive and complicated story. I apologize for the delay in posting but this story is by far the most complicated I've ever done and I've been relying heavily on my beta. Chapter 19 will hopefully be posted late next week. We should be getting onto a better schedule soon, please bear with us and thank you for your patience and support!**

Chapter 18

Lula's POV

We were all gathered in the RangeMan garage to see the guys off. All their women as well as all the guys that live on four were hanging out waiting for the ominous black vehicles to pull up and take Ranger, Lester and Bobby to Washington where they would be sent to some hell hole to do god knows what for the next few weeks.

I'm so glad that Tank decided he was done with this contract shit. None of the guys would agree to a long term contract but they do pick and choose what missions to take and then sign a contract for that particular mission. Alex explained how it works. I'm not sure she was supposed to, but she said that she's not giving away any national secrets so she doesn't have a problem with it. Alex claims the guys don't seem to know the difference between national secrets and basic information. She thinks they're unnecessarily secretive about the process, so she tells us women the stuff we're allowed to know. Stephanie and Elaina especially appreciate it.

Alex is open about the protocol for missions, but is still extremely secretive about her past. We all know she did something for the government. We also know that's how she met Lester. She claims they met when she was assigned to a base in Germany where Lester was sent after being injured during his deployment to Iraq. I don't think any of us buy that, but no one questions it.

I looked around at all my friends who were huddled with their men, preparing to say good-bye. My heart ached for them and I felt myself reach out to take Tank's hand. He softly lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it.

Steph looked like shit. She must not have slept. Her face was stony and her eyes looked like they were staring at something far off in the distance. Ranger had his arms around her, holding her tightly against him. Steph's head was resting on his chest and his chin resting on her head. He had his blank face on. _Something happened. I guarantee she'll tell me as soon as they leave. _

Alex and Lester were making out. No one is shocked by this anymore. I have a feeling if we weren't here it would be a lot more than just making out, so I guess we have to give them credit for demonstrating some form of self control. Although, the way Lester was grabbing her ass, I wasn't sure how much longer Alex's pregnancy hormones were going to hold out before she demanded he just take her here and now. _And Lester, being Lester, totally would._

I shook my head and glanced at Bobby and Elaina. _What the hell?_ Bobby and Elaina were making out! This never happens! Elaina is more reserved then the rest of the women and Bobby usually gives her a hell of a goodbye kiss but they _do not_ make out in public. _Guess therapy's working after all._

I nudged Tank and tilted my head towards Bobby and Elaina. He began to smile and shook his head.

"I'm glad that they're finally in a better place, but if they start acting like Lester and Ace, I'm quitting," Tank muttered.

I snorted.

The black vans finally arrived. I went and kissed Ranger, Lester and Bobby on the cheek and wished them luck. There were lots of handshakes and man hugs. Ranger grabbed Stephanie's face and gave her a deep, passionate kiss. They broke apart and Steph's face broke into a smile as she told him not to get shot. Then Ranger smiled back and told her not to go too crazy. _Well whatever it is, it can't be too bad._

Bobby grabbed Elaina and dipped her down low kissing her. She was blushing slightly when Bobby set her back on the feet. Bobby was beaming at her and Elaina asked him to be safe and to come back to her in one piece. "Always," Bobby whispered as he gave her one more kiss.

Alex and Lester were back to making out. _Christ, I thought that they were bad before. Pregnancy hormones have taken it to a whole new level. _Bobby and Ranger walked over to Lester and Alex. Lester finally broke their kiss and then leaned down and gently kissed Alex's belly.

Bobby leaned in and kissed Alex's cheek. He then slowly took a knee and placed a kiss on Alex's belly and whispered something to the baby. Ranger placed a kiss on Alex's head and then wordlessly took a knee and also placed a kiss on her stomach and mumbled something to the baby. Alex was standing there with her mouth hanging open in surprise.

I felt tears sting my eyes. It was so touching to see how these men already loved that kid. _Shit. Alex is going to have her hands full considering her child is going to be spoiled rotten by all these "tough guys."_ I looked over at Steph and Elaina. Steph was smiling as she brushed away some tears and Elaina's eyes were watery as a hand covered her mouth. _Christ, this baby shit is getting to all of us._ I blinked my eyes a few times and swallowed. I felt Tank's arm go around me as he kissed my hair.

Bobby, Lester and Ranger gave nods to the rest of us and then headed to the black van. We watched as the van pulled away and Alex broke down sobbing.

"Shit," Ram said as he pulled Alex into his arms and hugged her to his chest while she cried. "Relax Ace, Santos will be back before you know it," Ram said.

"That's not why she's upset," Tank interjected.

"Huh?" Ram questioned. Vince, Junior, Cal, Hal and Manny were now all gathered around.

"She's upset that she's not going," Tank explained. Alex nodded through her sobs.

Cal let out a bark of laughter while the other guys shook their heads.

"Shit, Ace, you really are one of us. I thought we were the only ones who are that bat-shit crazy," Ram chuckled as he rubbed her back.

Alex sniffled. "It's just that I could help them! I've never been left behind on any mission since I've started here," she explained.

"You have a new mission now, Killer. Your mission is to stay safe and take care of that kid. We've all been dying to be uncles. We just thought Bossman and Bombshell would be first," Vince said.

Stephanie blushed and looked at the ground. _What's up with her?_

"Alright. Gentleman, it's time to hit the gym. Ladies, the ones who work for me are offline for the day," Tank said.

The guys left and Steph turned to us. "Did you guys take the day off?" she asked addressing Elaina and me.

We both nodded.

"Good! I have a surprise. Please follow me to seven," she said excitedly.

We all took the elevator up and I could smell something delicious as we stepped off the elevator.

"What's up your sleeve?" I asked.

Steph just grinned as she let us in and brought us straight to the kitchen. There was a handsome man waiting for us.

"Hola Ladies," he grinned. _Damn he looks familiar._

"This is Filipe, Ranger's second cousin. He's just graduated culinary school and is starting his own catering business. Ranger hired him for us. He's going to make brunch," Steph explained.

_That explains the familiarity._ He has a slight resemblance to Ranger.

"Any particular reason Ranger set this up?" Alex asked suspiciously.

Steph blushed and bit her lip.

"What the hell is going on?" I finally asked.

"Why don't we get drinks and go into the living room so we can let Filipe work," she suggested.

Steph and I got mimosas, Alex got orange juice and Elaina went straight to the vodka and made herself a screwdriver. _Damn, Elaina does not fuck around._

"Alright Plum, enough dancing around it," I said.

"Filipe was a surprise because Ranger wanted to do something nice for me the night after he proposed," she said slowly.

"Holy shit! Girl you're engaged!" I exclaimed. "Where the hell is the ring? Are you hiding it on me?" I asked.

"I'm not engaged," she said softly. "I couldn't say yes," she said as tears filled her eyes.

"Why not?" asked Alex, tilting her head curiously.

Steph let out a sigh. "When Ranger and I finally got together, it was after he came back from six months in the wind. He told me that he wouldn't be taking any more long term missions because he was needed state side to run his business. He also told me he wanted to spend more time with me and for us to finally be together. It was always understood in our relationship that his job comes first and I've respected that. Now, we're talking about changing the parameters of our relationship. I can't be second when I'm someone's wife. I don't want my children growing up in a household where they think that dad's job comes before them. I've never considered myself traditional, but maybe I am," she explained.

"Shit," I said.

"You really think you're second?" Alex asked.

"I know he doesn't think so. He loves me, but I am second. He's always checking his phone or email. We never spend any time at the house, we never go away, and he almost interrupted sex on our freaking anniversary to pick up the phone! I don't think he means it, but it doesn't make it any less true," Steph said as she finished her mimosa.

Elaina gave her a look and Steph nodded. Elaina picked up her glass and poured her another drink.

"So now what?" I asked.

Steph shrugged. "I love him. If he can only give me part-time then I'll take it. But I won't be his wife and we're certainly won't be having children," she said.

"This is your agreement?" asked a bewildered Elaina as she handed Steph another drink.

"No. He says he wants to change. He says he needs to adjust and that he wants me as his wife. He promised that there would be some major changes once he gets back," Steph said.

"You don't seem convinced," Alex pointed out.

"I may have some residual trust issues from my marriage and past relationships," Steph winced.

"He needs to show you with actions not words," Elaina said.

Steph's head whipped towards Elaina. "That's almost verbatim what he said!" Steph said suspiciously.

"Shit," Elaina mumbled.

"She knows something," Alex gasped.

We all turned to stare at her.

"Ranger went to the gym after the proposal. I was in there and we talked. He was devastated BUT he started to see that Stephanie had a point. He knows that she is the most important thing is his life all I did was point out that actions speak louder than words and he's going to have to really prove it," Elaina explained.

Stephanie's face softened. "Thank you," she whispered.

Elaina shrugged awkwardly and then got herself another drink and made Alex some tea.

Filipe made whole grain waffles with fruit compote, egg white omelets with spinach and peppers and fruit salad. The food was amazing and we praised Filipe, promising him recommendations to all of our friends.

We cleaned up then settled back with our drinks. Alex continued to sip tea. Steph and I were on our third mimosas and I was beginning to feel a buzz. Elaina was sipping another vodka and orange juice looking completely sober. _How the fuck does she do that?_

"Enough about my stuff. I can't think about it anymore. Elaina, things seem to be going better with Bobby," Steph said.

Elaina nodded. "I guess we've had a 'break through' in therapy. We both acknowledged that we love each other and want to marry. We also decided that we're going to do what we want without worrying about what our families think. If they want to boycott our wedding or cut off contact with us, that's their problem and we'll be ready to talk with them once they come around," she explained.

"That's gotta be tough. Aren't you close to your family?" I asked.

"Yeah, especially my brother. But I just can't let someone else dictate my life. I wish they could get past their issues with Bobby but right now John and my parents are being really stubborn. The wedding isn't till April so hopefully they'll come around," Elaina said.

"What about you, Alex? I know Les's family is really excited. Is yours?" Steph asked.

I cringed. Alex's family life was a shitshow. It's just another thing that we had in common. Her father was a drug addict, as was my mother. He left when she was five and her mother took care of her by working multiple jobs up until she was diagnosed with cancer. Alex's mom died when Alex was eighteen. As for extended family, Alex's mother was an only child who lost her parents. Alex's dad apparently had a large family, but Alex hasn't had communication with any of them in about fifteen years. She once told me they all blamed her mother for what happened to her father.

I was lucky enough to have amazing grandparents and aunts and uncles who helped support me. I didn't know my father and never really bothered looking. My mother was a cracked out whore and I unfortunately followed in her footsteps. We used to get high together when I was as young as fourteen. It damn near broke my grandmother's heart. I got clean when I was twenty-five, after my mother died from her addiction. I kept hooking up until three years ago, I'd been in the business since I was seventeen and it was hard to get out. I don't think I would've until I was attacked. Once that freak Ramirez cut me up, my pimp let me go saying no man would want me after that. I thought it was the worst thing that could've ever happened to me, somehow it became the best. I got out of the game, met my man, got back in school and now I'm happier than I ever thought possible.

Alex shrugged her shoulders. "My mother died years ago and I don't talk to my father. He's an asshole," she said nonchalantly.

"He wasn't around much growing up?" Elaina asked.

"Nope. He left when I was five, he was an addict. He picked drugs over my mom and me. The only thing that man did for me was teach me Russian and Spanish. Grigori is half Russian, half Venezuelan," Alex explained.

"Your father's name is Grigori Lavoir?" Steph asked.

"Grigori Torres. Can you imagine?" Alex snorted. "My grandfather was Venezuelan, my grandmother Russian, both immigrants. Lavoir was my mother's last name. She was part Armenian and part French and Irish. She taught me French," Alex said as she sipped her tea.

I guess that explains Alex's exotic appearance. She has really dark hair with light blue eyes. Her skin which was milky in the winter; browned and darken easily in the summer.

"What do you consider yourself?" Steph asked curiously.

"An American," Alex answered with a smile.

I thought about Alex's past and I realized her problem connecting with her child came from her own fucked up childhood. Her mother was always working to support them and her father disappeared. She had no real family to rely on. _No wonder she's struggling._

I could tell by the looks on Steph and Elaina's faces that they were thinking the same thing.

"I think I'm going to lie down before my workout," Alex said getting up.

"I'll go back with you," Elaina said jumping up.

They hugged and kissed their thanks and then left the apartment. I was glad to have Steph to myself for a little while.

"Alright, girl, it's time to spill. What do you want from Batman," I asked Steph once we were alone.

"I think I want it all," she said looking down. "I want to be his wife, I want kids but I need him to be around. I just feel like asking for it, is breaking our agreement," she admitted.

"Who gives a fuck?" I asked. "You've been together awhile, he now wants marriage. You're allowed to change the rules. If you need more you should be able to get more. Tank and I aren't married and have no interest in being so, but I know damn well that I'm the most important thing is his life," I said.

"Do you really think that Alex isn't the most important thing is Lester's? Or that Elaina isn't Bobby's? Why don't you deserve the same?" I asked her.

"I do! Ranger is the most important thing in my life and I know that I'm important to him. I just don't think he knows how to give me more," she explained.

"I think you've been too gentle and patient with the man. I know that you're his first real relationship but damn, Steph! The man is over thirty, it's time to throw him in the deep end and expect him to swim," I said.

"I don't have a clue on how to do that," she said with a shy smile.

"Demand that you spend some weekends at the batcave. Tell him to turn off the phone and to stop checking his emails, especially when all the other partners are on duty! It's ridiculous that he used to go away for months at time and trust in Tank, Lester and Bobby to run this company in his absence but now that he's back he can't take off a few hours for dinner. It's some bullshit," I pointed out.

"You're right. I just need to start asking for what I want. Maybe it's time to push him a little bit," Steph said thoughtfully.

"That's my girl!" I said as I stood up to hug her.

Steph and I spent the rest of the afternoon discussing different ways to "push" Ranger.

Elaina's POV

Steph and I pulled up to the studio parking lot. I was really nervous.

"You ready for this?" Steph asked me.

"Not even a little bit," I breathed honestly.

"Come on Elaina! This is like my dream! You're about to live my dream! Get freaking excited!" she said laughing.

I groaned. I was about to do a photo shoot for a local woman's magazine. I was recently asked to go to Washington to speak on a Congressional panel to discuss veteran affairs. "NJ Women", a small feminist magazine heard I was going to be testifying and told me they wanted to do a story on me and more importantly, the issues that I was going to be discussing in Washington.

There was a debate forming over a new bill. The bill would pull financial resources from the psychological aid for veterans and use it for more guns and body army for deployed soldiers. Now, I am all for more equipment for out men and women overseas, but pulling money away from veterans with psychological issues is just wrong. The suicide rate among veterans has risen sharply since 2005 and with more troops coming home with PTSD and a frightening economy, they need our help more than ever. I don't understand why they can't make cuts somewhere else in the defense budget, like some of the big expensive planes that we never use. They could use that money to help our troops and have some left over to contribute to more aid for the vets. The whole thing makes me sick.

The debate in Washington is getting heated and nasty, so both sides started forming panels to have discussions on the issues. I was honored to be asked to participate and I just want to do right by the veterans.

But the story that NJ Women is doing, comes with a photo shoot and that's what I'm nervous about. I asked Stephanie to come with me because first off she knows clothes and second, she wouldn't be too shy to tell me if I looked incredibly stupid.

We walked into the shoot and were greeted by Amelia Latham, the editor, as well as Steve Menendez, the photographer. We shook their hands and I was guided back to the stylists. I resisted the urge to grab Stephanie's hand for support.

"I'm right here," she whispered. "I promise that you will not look stupid!" she said reassuringly.

I gave her a grateful smile.

Two very stylish and cool looking women were waiting for me.

"Stephanie?" said one of the women.

"Livy!" Steph exclaimed as the other woman turned around and waved at Stephanie. "Elaina, this is Livy and Annette Swan! They own a high end shoe store downtown, RangeMan does their security," Steph explained.

"Livy, Annette, this is Elaina Merritt. She's Bobby Brown's fiancé and your subject today," Steph said.

I shook hands with both Livy and Annette.

"We do own a store but we're also designers, so we're trying to get our label off the ground. All the clothes and shoes we have for you today are our designs. How do you want to look for your shoot?" Annette asked me.

"Powerful and professional," I said.

"But fashionable…maybe a little edgy," Steph added.

I don't have a clue what edgy is supposed to mean, but that's why I asked Stephanie to come with me.

The women nodded and I was first ushered into hair and make-up where Livy gave them specific instructions for "my look."

I came out with my hair curled and much heavier eye make-up than I normally wear.

"We're going to try several looks, just try them out and then you'll have the final say on which one will be used," Amelia explained.

I nodded. _Shit, this is so intimidating._ I had no issues with the interview but this was stressing me out.

Annette and Livy put me in a short black skirt with a slit, white blouse and these sky high extremely sexy red heels.

"Okay, the concept is for you to be a little bit of a teacher. You're going to Washington to really teach these guys about veterans. You're going to school them, get it?" explained Amelia.

I shot Steph a look, who was looking at the set which looked like a classroom complete with a chalk board and desk. She gave me her nod of approval and I took a deep breath.

"Why don't we try a few of you sitting on the desk with your legs crossed holding the pointer?" suggested Steve.

I did what he asked. He told me to lift my head at this angle, turn my hips just so, pout my lips, add a hint of a smile. This may be the most awkward thing I've ever done. I was extremely uncomfortable.

"Elaina, come take a look!" called Steve.

We all gathered around the pictures and I gasped. I looked HOT, really, really sexy. Unfortunately, this was the not the look I was going for.

"I look like I'm trying to seduce a student," I winced.

"Agreed," said Steph. "The shots are beautiful but they're way too sexual," she said.

I was hustled back to wardrobe. They changed me into a high wasted pencil skirt and some high black pumps. I was given a fitted jacket and my hair was pinned up.

"This time stand in front of the desk. Feet apart, arms folded, chin up!" called Steve.

Once again he directed me and I did nothing but follow his instructions.

"Come see!" he called again. Everyone gathered around and I nervously looked over Steve's shoulder.

I looked amazing! My legs looked a mile long and my waist looked tiny! I also looked powerful, authoritative and tough.

"This is perfect!" said Amelia.

I glanced at Steph. "I love it!" she agreed.

"Thank you! This is exactly how I wanted to look," I admitted.

Everyone agreed on the best shots and I went back to change into my street clothes. Annette and Livy gave me both pairs of shoes to take home.

"You don't have to do this!" I exclaimed.

"Nonsense. Please take them. Wear the red ones for Bobby," Livy said with a smile.

Steve called me over and handed me a CD. "These are both sets of pictures. I figured you might want the other ones for your fiancé," he said grinning at me.

"Thank you so much!"I said.

Steph and I climbed back into the car.

"Admit it, you had fun dressing up!" she said.

"It was better than I thought. Is this what a distraction is like?" I asked.

"In a way," she answered with a laugh.

"You're a good friend. Thanks for coming with me," I said.

"Any time I can be around amazing clothes and shoes is a good day to me," she replied with a grin.

Steph's POV

The guys were due back at any time now. It was a long three weeks but we all stayed busy. I had something planned too. With Elaina's help, I, Stephanie Plum, would be throwing a dinner party at my home. That's right, I was inviting people over to the batcave and my boyfriend was just going to have to deal. I was always told to treat this house as my own and I've never once dared. Well, I was now daring.

I finished up my work and was antsy for the boys to get back so I walked down to Alex's apartment to check on her. The door was unlocked so I just let myself in when I heard Alex talking.

"So, how's it going? Are you enjoying all the vegetables I've been eating? It must be like being in a hot tub in there. You're basically just swimming huh?" she said.

_What the hell?_

I walked toward the bedroom and Alex was sitting on her bed with her shirt rolled up looking at her stomach.

"Hey Alex, what are you doing?" I asked.

Alex looked up at me and then tears filled her eyes. "Shit! What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm trying to talk to the baby. Les does it all the time and it's just so easy for him. I'm supposed to feel something and I don't! I think there's something wrong with me," she said as tears fell down her face.

I walked over to her and put her arms around her.

"I'm going to be a terrible mom. I'm going to end up screwing this kid up and they're going to end up in therapy because of me," she sniffled.

"Alex, you're not going to be a bad mother," I said. "Do I know what you think your problem is?" I asked her.

"I'm emotionally damaged?" she asked.

"No! You're being way too hard on yourself. You need to give yourself a break. You workout every day, you make sure you sleep ten hours, you haven't given into one craving, I think you just need to relax," I said.

She sniffled again. "I just feel so guilty all the time," she explained.

"Well, stop. You've been awesome to that baby. I think it's time to do something fun for yourself. What's one food you've been craving?" I asked.

"Ice cream," she said with a small smile.

"What kind?" I asked.

"Black raspberry with chocolate chips," she answered.

"I know this gelato shop, not too far from here. And I know they sell little pints of that flavor, I've gotten them before. Go wash up, we're not going to sit around waiting for the guys to walk through the door, we're going to get gelato," I told her firmly.

She grinned at me and made her way to the bathroom to fix herself, so I went to wait for her in the living room. She same out dressed in leggings and boots with a cute dark blue tunic stretched over her bump and a light grey sweater. You could barely tell that she was pregnant when you looked right at her from the way the tunic was cut, you couldn't help but notice when she turned sideways.

We headed out to Giovanni's. The place had the best gelato and it was also the place to go to put some serious money down on any game of your choosing. It was widely known Giovanni was also a very talented bookie.

I parked the car and Alex and headed into the shop. Giovanni's was surprisingly empty; it was just Alex and I with Mr. Giovanni reading the paper behind the counter. We started walking through the aisles casually looking at the Italian soda and baked goods on display. I was thinking about picking up a tiramisu for my dinner party when I heard the bell go off again. Five men stormed in with each carrying a gun.

"Shit," Alex mumbled. "I really wanted gelato," she sighed.

"Give it up old man! We know you have more cash then what's in the register!" yelled the man that seemed to be the leader.

Giovanni slowly raised his hands. Alex was studying him. "He just hit a silent alarm on the floor," she whispered.

"How the hell do you know that?" I whispered back.

"The way his weight shifted and the look on his face," she softly explained.

Giovanni shuffled towards the register and was purposefully loading the cash into the bags that were provided.

"Hurry the fuck up!" the leader shouted.

Another one of the guys spotted Alex and I. Alex has once taught me a bunch of hand signals they use in the field and she now signaled me to stand down and cooperate. She also slowly reached into my purse and then tucked my gun into the back of her leggings. Her light sweater which she threw over her tunic covered the bulge.

"You two! Up front!" one of them shouted as he raised his gun at us. I felt like my heart was going to beat through my chest.

Alex looked slightly amused and signaled for me to relax and that these guys were amateurs. I think Alex's definition of an amateur and mine may be different. She thinks half the guys at RangeMan are amateurs.

I heard sirens. "Fuck!" one of the men shouted.

"You played us old man! Now open the fucking safe and you better do it fast!" the leader shouted. Giovanni moved much faster and opened up the safe as order. He began pulling more money than I've ever seen and then loaded it into the bags_. Apparently, the illegal gambling business is still booming during the recession. _

"Too late, boss; we're surrounded!" one of the guys called out as he peered out the window.

I was panicking, think to myself, _this is either a good thing or a bad thing; I'm not sure which. _

"What's going on out there?" the leader asked.

"Three police cars, an unmarked police car, nine cops and one black SUV with two SWAT guys. One of them is going nuts while the other one is holding him back," the man at the window explained.

_There's a tracker on my car. Tank knows where Alex and I are. The guys must've come back and then came here. Lester is now losing it because his pregnant freaking wife in now being held hostage. FUCK. This is bad. _

I looked over at Alex and she looked bored. _Why isn't Alex freaking?_

"We need a hostage," one of them pointed out. I looked at seventy-five year old Giovanni and pregnant Alex. _Well, shit._

"I'll go!" I said before they could think too long about Giovanni or Alex.

"Absolutely not!" shouted Alex.

All the men turned and looked at her.

"Doll face has a point," one of the guys said to me as a creepy smile formed on this face. "She's two for the price of one," he finished as his eyes traveled up and down the length of Alex's body.

"No!" I shouted as I tried throwing myself in front of Alex. One of the guys shoved me hard and I fell over. Alex signaled for me to stay down.

The leader strutted over to her and ran a finger down the side of her face as he held a gun to her head with his other hand. "Listen closely so I don't have to slit that pretty throat of yours. Just do what I say and no one will get hurt," he said with a sick smile.

"Not a problem," Alex replied evenly.

The man lowered his gun as he playfully tapped his finger to her nose and replied, "Good."

"You fuck with us, and I will cut the baby out of you here and now," another man said as he came up behind her holding a giant knife to her bump.

The air suddenly shifted, tension filled the room. Something changed behind Alex's eyes and in her demeanor. Calm Alex was gone and something I've never seen before took its place.

I took this opportunity to get _the fuck_ down and cover my head.

I then watched the craziest thing I've ever seen.

Alex grabbed the man's hand with the knife and I heard a snap and a scream as the man fell to the ground clutching his wrist. At the same time she kicked the man in front of her right in his testicles and he dropped to the ground in front of her. She threw the knife she was now holding and got one of the men in his shoulder; his gun fell to the ground and skidded towards me on the floor. I started crawling for the gun.

Alex drew her gun so fast I didn't even see her go for it. She fired two shots taking out the other two members easily. She kicked the man in front of her in the face and he fell backward, knocked out cold. She held the gun to the head of the man who threatened her child.

I scrambled to my feet holding my newly acquired weapon. "Stay down," she demanded all the men. "Stephanie, collect their weapons," she ordered in a calm voice that I'd never really heard before. Alex was silly and fun. The woman in front of me was neither of those things. She was terrifying.

I started picking guns up off the floor and removing the clips. Alex noticed one guy across the floor starting to crawl toward his gun. She pistol whipped the man in front of her and he fell back unconscious. She then walked authoritatively over to one of the men she shot. His hand was almost to the gun. Alex placed the heel of her boot on his hand then turned it as she put her weight down. I heard the sickening sound of bones breaking while the man screamed.

"I thought I told you to stay down. Bad boy," she said as she kicked him in the face.

I continued to hold my gun on two of the men; the other three were still unconscious thanks to Alex.

She calmly walked to the counter where Mr. Giovanni was starting to stand up after taking cover.

"Hi, I'd like a pint of black raspberry chocolate chip and a spoon please," she asked.

With trembling hands Giovanni turned to the freezer and pulled out the gelato and handed her a plastic spoon. "No charge, miss," he said.

"Thanks!"Alex said brightly.

She walked over to the window and signaled the police that it was safe to come in. She then proceeded over to me when she removed the lid of her gelato and began eating calmly.

"You're right Steph, this is really good," she said.

"Ahh Alex?" I said. She looked at me. "You have blood on your face…it's not yours," I winced. _I can't believe what I just witnessed._

She shrugged and continued eating. "Hopefully Ranger has a medical kit with some of those wet ones in his car," she said nonchalantly.

The police had all come in.

Joe Morelli entered the shop with wide eyes. Joe was my ex-boyfriend and now good friend. He was also a detective. "Holy fuck!" said Morelli as he surveyed the scene.

He took one look at Alex and sighed. Morelli knows that Alex is…special. Apparently the chief and Morelli are the only ones who know the truth and are Alex's local contact people if something ever happens.

"I take it you had something to do with this, Mrs. Santos?" Joe asked Alex.

"Don't know what you're talking about, Detective. They took out each other, in-fighting and all that," Alex said between bites.

Joe's pursed his lips together and took a moment to compose himself. "In-fighting? You may want to wash the blood off your face before you try that one. Why don't you and Steph go outside and calm the boys in black down and I'll be at RangeMan later where we can have a more private conversation," Joe said tightly.

Alex shrugged and casually walked outside.

I just stood there with my mouth hanging open.

"You okay, Cupcake?" Joes asked.

"I've never seen anything like it," I whispered.

"I know. Go see Ranger, we'll talk later," he said gently.

I followed Alex out of the store.

"Alex!" Lester yelled as he sprinted toward his wife who was still eating gelato. He grabbed her pulling her into his arms.

"Sir! We're going to need to check out your wife," a paramedic interrupted.

"Of course!" Lester said as he guided Alex towards the ambulance.

Ranger was running over towards me. I threw myself into his arms and buried my face in his chest. He held me tight and spoke to me softly in Spanish while I regained my composure.

"Please tell me you're alright," he asked.

"I'm fine, thanks to Alex. Carlos, I've never seen…I don't even know how she…"I tried to find the words to explain what I saw.

"I know, its okay, Babe. I know. I want the paramedics to check you out," he said softly as he guided me towards the paramedics.

They were finishing up with Alex. Lester was cleaning off the blood and the paramedic was taking her blood pressure. "Mrs. Santos, your blood pressure is perfect and you don't seem to have a scratch on you. How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Perfectly, fine," she answered.

"Watch over her and if there is any change bring her straight in," the paramedic advised Lester.

Lester nodded as he protectively placed his arm around his wife as she casually took another bite of her gelato.

Alex glanced up at Lester who was staring at her fearfully.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Did you want any?" she asked gesturing to her gelato.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N - JE owns everything you recognize.

Special thanks to my beta VaBabe who had been struggling with computer issues! We should have another chapter posted next week! Again this is a big complicated story that has a lot going on so I rely heavily on my beta and these chapters take me awhile to write. Thanks for your understanding!

Chapter 19

Alex's POV

_Awww. _I pouted when I realized my spoon was hitting the bottom of the gelato container. _This was smaller then I thought. _

I was in Ranger's car with Lester driving me back to RangeMan. Ranger stayed behind to drive Steph's car back considering she was still shaken up about the attempted robbery. I glanced at Les who was vibrating with tension.

"You alright?" I asked as I finished the gelato.

"Angel, I came back and you weren't there. I checked with Tank and he said you were off with Bombshell getting gelato. Ranger and I pulled up the tracker and when we got to the shop to surprise you, it was surrounded by cops who told us they had a hostage situation. I fucking lost it," he said quietly.

"I looked in the window and saw someone holding a gun to the head of my wife, who's pregnant with my child. Then we heard gun shots. Please try to imagine what was going on in my head. I thought I died for a moment until I saw you at the door signaling the police," he finished. His voice was thick with emotion.

"Les, I'm so sorry to have scared you. But it's me we're talking about. They were amateurs and there were only five of them. I had it under control," I said gently.

"Control? Alex, there was nothing about the scene that was controlled," he growled at me.

"Okay, I _was_ in control but I lost it a little. They needed a hostage and Steph volunteered. I couldn't let her do it. They realized I was pregnant and decided to take me. The leader held a gun to my head and told me to cooperate which I was planning to do. Then another one came up behind me and held a knife to my stomach. He threatened my baby," I said as I placed my hand protectively on my stomach.

"He held a knife to your stomach?" Les asked his jaw tightening. I could tell he was trying to get a hold of his temper.

"Yes, and if he would've even flicked his wrist I would have killed them all," I whispered.

I meant it too. The thought of him coming anywhere near my baby made me see red. The only reason I was able to keep some small semblance of control was I knew that the agency would need to relocate me if I caused too big of a mess. I didn't want to leave Trenton and pull Lester away from his job and family. But if that asshole moved his hand just a millimeter more my control would've snapped and there would've been a bloodbath.

"You lost control because they threatened our child," he said softly.

"Yes. I couldn't handle the thought of someone hurting my baby," I admitted.

"Alex, do you realize this is the first time you've talked about the baby like this?" he asked softly.

I nodded as I began running my hand back and forth over my stomach. The baby kicked me in response and I couldn't help but smile.

Lester pulled into the garage and parked. I took his hand and placed it on my stomach. He felt the kicking and his face softened.

"I think we're alright," I said.

"Angel, please just don't ever scare me like that again. I don't know what I would do if I lost you. Either of you," he said gently rubbing my stomach.

"I want to find out the sex," I said.

Lester looked at my in surprise. "Are you sure?" he asked.

I nodded. "I want to know what we're having. I want to be able to decorate the nursery," I explained.

Lester grabbed my face and kissed me. I know he was excited because this is something he's been wanting and I've been avoiding. I guess finding out the sex would make it more real to me and I was scared. I felt like that was silly now.

The moment when I thought I had a chance of losing my child I realized how much I loved him (or her!). I don't know why I couldn't see it before but when it hit me, it hit me hard. I loved my Little One and I would do absolutely anything for him.

Lester guided me out of the car and back up to our apartment where I quickly showered and changed. I didn't want to show up for the meeting with Detective Morelli with blood all over my clothes.

Lester got the call Detective Morelli was waiting on us in the conference room. When we got there Tank, Ranger and Bobby were also waiting around the conference table.

"First off, Ace, are you and the baby okay?" asked Ranger.

"We're both fine thank you," I said as I sat in the chair Lester pulled out for me.

"Mrs. Santos, why don't you tell me what actually happened," Detective Morelli said.

I went through my story from the moment Steph and I walked into Giovanni's to the moment I walked out. Detective Morelli listened patiently, without interrupting.

Once I finished, Morelli let out a sigh. "Alex, you are a highly trained operative, how did you lose control like that? Five men were carted off with various injuries including, bullet wounds, broken legs, fractured jaws and one severely crushed hand. This isn't going to something that can be easily explained," Morelli pointed out.

"I was controlled! They threatened my baby; you should be thanking me that you didn't have to bring in five body bags!" I said coldly.

Morelli sighed and Lester glared at him. Tank, Ranger and Bobby had enough sense to keep their faces blank.

"How the hell are we spinning this story?" Morelli finally asked.

"I've already thought about that. Giavonni's has no cameras considering his 'other customers' don't want to be caught coming or going when their placing bets. Giavonni was hiding behind the counter when everything happened and is not one to cooperate with the police. Poor Stephanie was knocked to the ground and was unable to see. I saw everything. They were arguing and then they turned on each other. I was just lucky enough not to get caught in the cross fire. These guys may have been amateurs but they weren't first timers. They were too brazen and overly confident. They've done this before. I bet they have a list of priors as long as my arm. I'm sure they'll be willing to sign off on my story versus risking the story getting out of a small pregnant woman beating the shit out of them. That wouldn't serve their reputations well before going to prison," I said simply.

All the men sat looking at me for a moment without speaking. Little one started kicking me again. I placed my hand on my stomach and looked at all the alpha males surrounding me.

"Little one is really active right now. Would you like to feel?" I asked, smiling at the blank faces staring back at me.

Lester gently touched my stomach and felt the kick. He kissed me softly then looked around the table.

"My kid's gotta hell of a kick," he said smiling at every one.

Bobby got up. "May I?" he asked me. I took his large hand and placed it right where the baby was kicking.

He jumped a little looking slightly embarrassed. "I've never felt that before," he said with a small smile.

I looked at Tank and Ranger challenging them with my eyes to come feel. They glanced at each other for a moment and then both stood to come feel my baby moving. I watched as their blank faces were quickly replaced by something softer.

"Joe?" I asked.

He sighed and placed his hand on my stomach. Little one gave him a hard kick.

"You've got a little soccer player in there," he said with a smile. "When Amber was pregnant with Nathan, he'd be really active at night. We'd be in bed and she'd place my hand on her belly and I could feel my son move. It was the best part of my day," he explained.

"What would you have done if you were me and my baby was Nathan?" I asked him.

"I would've killed them all," he said quietly.

"Then you can understand how hard it was for me to just disarm them without killing them," I said.

Another moment of silence passed while Joe Morelli reflected on my point.

"I will make your story work. Alex, just do me a favor and keep a low profile for awhile. Please?" he said.

"I promise that I will be keeping Alex out of trouble," Lester jumped in.

I rolled my eyes and Joe stood up and shook all the guys' hands and kissed me gently on the cheek.

"Say hi to Amber for me," I said. He gave me a nod as he left.

"Come on Angel," Les said taking my hand. "I've been dreaming about getting you alone and out of your clothes for three weeks. We have some reconnecting to do," he said kissing me as he groped my ass.

I heard Tank groan and I swear Ranger rolled his eyes as Les pulled me out of the conference room to lead me back to four.

Bobby's POV

_What a fucking shit show. _

We get back and within fifteen minutes we learn Steph and Ace are being held hostage. This of course is a problem not just because the women are being held at gun point, but because Ace is hormonal and dangerous.

Apparently, the fuckers threatened the baby and she snapped taking out all five of them. If you've ever seen Ace in action you know that she was holding back if those assholes made it out alive. I've seen her kill more than five highly trained men.

With all that drama, I hadn't even seen Elaina yet. I made my way down to four and prayed that she was home for work. I've missed her and just want to hold her in my arms and smell her perfume. I paused when I got to my door. There was a large manila envelope attached to the door with my name written on it.

_What the hell?_

I grabbed the envelop and pulled out a set of pictures. _What the fuck is this!_ It was pictures of Elaina. Extremely sexy pictures. My body which had been deprived of her immediately reacted. She was posed on a desk in some sort of hot teacher clothes with a sultry look on her face. My heart was beating so hard I felt that anyone who walked by would be able to hear it.

I threw open the door and walked quickly to the living room in search of Elaina. I froze in surprise when I saw her. She was standing in the middle of the living room in some impossibly high red shoes wearing my button down shirt and holding two glasses of champagne. She had a small smile on her face and walked towards me and handed me a glass of champagne.

I took it wordlessly.

"Did you like the pictures?" she asked. I could tell she was a little nervous.

I swigged the champagne. "Very much. Please tell me the photographer was either a woman or gay," I said.

"Not sure. I didn't ask, but he was very professional," she said.

"Did you really take these for me?" I asked as I finished my champagne and put the glass down so I could wrap my arms around her.

"No. I was asked to do and interview for NJ Women and it came with a photo shoot," she explained.

I felt my jaw tighten as my jealousy reared its ugly head. "Those pictures are going to be on a magazine, which everyone is going to be able to see?" I growled.

She rolled her eyes at me and broke my hold on her. "No, Bobby. That wouldn't exactly be good for my professional image. I got called to participate on another panel in Washington," she said as she walked into the kitchen returned holding the magazine. "This is the picture, which I approved," she said as she handed me the magazine.

Elaina was standing in front of the desk with her arms folded. She was in a much less revealing outfit and her hair was pulled back from her face. She looked authoritative and classy. I also thought she looked sexy, but I always think she looks sexy.

I breathed out a sigh of relief. Elaina's soft smile was now replaced by her pissed off face.

I winced. "Baby, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted that way, I got jealous. It was stupid, both pictures are gorgeous. You're gorgeous and I love the pictures," I said as I pulled her into my arms again.

She sighed and wrapped her arms around my neck. "I'm forgiven?" I asked tentatively.

"You've been gone for three weeks, probably risking your life and I've thought about you every moment of every day while you were gone. Then I try to surprise you when you return and somehow you end up pissed off, which pisses me off," she sighed.

"I'm sorry! What can I do?" I asked, holding her tight.

"Well, I was planning on performing your favorite act, but if you really wanna make it up to me, you could perform mine," she suggested as she bit her lip.

I was now back at attention and ready to go. I grabbed Elaina and whisked her to the bedroom where I tossed her on the bed. She giggled as she landed with a bounce.

I slid my hands up her thighs and pulled down her little black panties. I placed kisses on her legs and hips then placed a leg on my shoulder.

"Are you ready to make-up?" I asked her, giving her a wicked grin.

"Oh yes," she breathed as I began performing her favorite act.

Ranger's POV

I took Steph back the batcave that night. She told me she just wanted to be alone with me at the house after her dramatic day.

I was happy to oblige. It was a tough mission and I was exhausted. Steph was slowly crashing from the adrenaline.

We walked into the house and I immediately took her into the bedroom where we stripped down to our underwear. I pulled her into bed and she placed her head on my chest while I wrapped my arms around her.

I fell asleep with the scent of her hair in my nose and the sound of her gentle breathing.

I woke up to the sun streaming in through the windows. _What the fuck?_

Stephanie wasn't in bed. I threw on some gym shorts and headed downstairs. "Babe!" I called.

I heard the front door opening and Stepahine's voice. "I like the idea of doing something more family style, ya know? I don't want to do individual plates of food; I want to do bowls and platters. Do you think that we can manage that?" she asked someone.

_Who the hell is she talking to?_

I walked around the corner to the kitchen and to my surprise Stephanie was unloading groceries with Elaina. Apparently, Elaina now knows where I live. I swallowed the uneasy feeling in my stomach. _This is Stephanie's home too. She can invite over whoever she wants._

"Babe," I said again.

"Oh, Carlos! You're awake! I have so much to do to get ready for tonight that I thought I would start early. You were so tired I wanted you to sleep," she explained.

"Hey Carlos," Elaina greeted me.

"Elaina," I said with a nod. "Did you have a nice reunion with Brown?" I asked her.

"We did," she said.

"Oh! What did he say about the pictures? Did he love them?" Stephanie asked. _Pictures?_

"He did. But he first thought that the original shot was going to be on the cover and he kinda freaked. He also made a stupid comment about hoping the photographer was either gay or a woman," she said with a headshake.

"Why are men so dumb?" Stephanie asked.

"Babe," I said trying to remind her that I'm still in the room.

"Sorry Carlos! I know you're_ never _irrationally jealous," she said with an eye roll.

I groaned. _This is a perfect example of why I like my privacy. _

"Babe, can you please explain what the hell is going on?" I finally asked.

"Oh yeah, sorry! I meant to tell you last night, but I kinda forgot with everything that happened. We're having a dinner party! Elaina and Bobby, Lula and Tank and Alex and Lester are coming over tonight. I thought it was time to actually start making this place my home," she said smiling at me.

I couldn't help but return it. I wanted to perhaps go a little slower in this respect but it made me happy that she really was trying to have a real home with me.

"Is that okay?" she whispered as she came to hug me.

"Of course. I love you and I want this to be your home too," I whispered back as I kissed her hair. "What can I do to help?" I asked.

"Nothing. You, Bobby and Lester are off the hook tonight. Steph picked you up breakfast and then you can do whatever you want today. You just have to be dressed and ready for company by 7:00pm," Elaina said.

"That's 1900 hours," Steph said with a smirk.

"Thank you for clarifying, Babe," I said with a smile as she handed me a bran muffin and fruit.

Honestly, I wanted Elaina to leave. I wanted Stephanie to myself and for us to spend the day in the bedroom, in the shower, in the pool and any place else she was willing. I could tell, though, by her demeanor how excited she was. I guess I'll spend my first day back jerking off in the shower while she played Martha Stewart.

Anything to make her happy.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N - JE owns everything you recognize.**

**Special thanks to VaBabe who has been an amazing beta and a has been extremely helpful and crucial to this story!**

**Note - My beta is going on vacation for two weeks, after that our posting schedule will get back to a more normal routine. I'll be writing the whole time she's gone! So please bear with us. Thanks for all the support that we've received for this story!**

Chapter 20

Tank's POV

We were heading to Ranger's house. I can't believe it. I mean, I really can't fucking believe it. Stephanie had actually planned a dinner party at Ranger's house and he was going along with it. I've only been to the place a handful of times. I don't think anyone in his family besides his parents even know that this place exits.

Lula was giddy with excitement. She's never seen "the batcave" before and after so many years of hearing about it, I have a feeling she's built it up a little bit in her head. I pulled up to the house and watched Lula's face as she gave the house an assessing look.

"Well?" I asked her.

"It's just so….normal," she said.

"When Ranger's not Ranger and is actually Carlos, he's pretty normal. But, he's still really private. This may be hard for him, so try not to bust his balls too much tonight," I said to her.

"Who me? I would never!" Lula said in mock surprise.

I chuckled as I got out of the car. I took out the bottles of wine that I promised Elaina I would bring and we walked up the driveway to the house. I reached for the door bell and Lula stopped me.

"I want to do it," she said as she past me and pressed the button.

The doorbell rang and Lula's face fell a little. I looked at her quizzically.

"I thought it might be Batman's theme song," she admitted.

I groaned. "Lula, please do not give Ranger a hard time!" I pleaded.

She giggled. _Shit._

Stephanie threw open the door wearing an apron over a blue dress. "Hi!" she greeted us as she kissed our cheeks and led us into the house.

"Girl, you're a regular Martha Stewart in that apron," Lula said.

"Thanks! Elaina got it for me. She does this kinda thing all the time and she said she wears grubby clothes to do the majority of the work and then when she gets ready she throws an apron on to finish. I've decided it's time to sharpen my domestic skills!" she said grinning at me.

I tried to suppress a shudder. Steph has "tried to sharpen her domestic skills" a number of times before. Let's just say the two weeks of drinking Maalox after Lula's jambalaya was child's play compared to what we've suffered at Bombshell's hands.

Ranger dressed in black pants and a grey shirt came to greet us taking the wine and kissing Lula on the cheek.

"So since, I'm in your house, should I be calling you Ranger or Carlos?" Lula asked innocently.

"Lula!" I groaned.

Ranger chuckled. "You can call me whatever makes you comfortable. I'm fine with Carlos in social settings," he said taking the wine from me.

Elaina poked her head out of the kitchen. _Thank Christ!_ Elaina Merritt can cook. Hopefully she kept a close eye on the Bombshell Bounty Hunter.

"Since we're all out socially, does this mean I can call you Pierre?" Elaina asked playfully. Lula and my mother are the only two people who get away with that.

"Merritt, you even try and I'll hang you up by your hair," I warned.

Elaina just ginned at me as she popped back in the kitchen.

"Wine, beer or cocktail, Tank?" Steph asked me.

"Red, please," I responded.

"Mi amor?" Steph said looking at Ranger.

"Beer, please," Ranger replied.

Steph brought us our drinks beaming from ear to ear. "Elaina and I have some things to do in the kitchen. Why don't you two relax in the living room," Steph said shooing us away.

Lula joined the girls in the kitchen and Ranger and I went to the living room.

"How are you handling all this?" I asked.

"It makes her happy. It was time; I'm not the same man I was three years ago. I want a wife and a life outside RangeMan and contracts. She's pushing me, maybe slightly faster then I'd push myself, but it'll all be worth it," he said as he took a long drink of his beer.

That was practically a speech for Ranger. "You're making her happy. She loves you," I reassured him.

"Thank God," Ranger said.

Bobby strolled in then with a beer in his hand. "Brown," I nodded.

"Hey. Listen Ranger, I found out from Elaina when we got back that her and Steph planned all this while you were gone. I know how private you are and I'm sorry for any part that Elaina had in this," Brown apologized.

"It's fine. I'm not calling you to the mats over this. If I was mad, I'd talk to Elaina. Then she'd do that thing where she finds a way to look down on me even though I'm taller and then she'd berate me to the point where I ended up apologizing to her," he said with a smile.

Bobby chuckled. "Yeah, she's real good at that," he admitted.

Lester came in practically bouncing up and down with excitement. "What's with you?" I asked.

He grinned. "I'm not allowed to say. Alex wants to do it together," he explained.

I raised my eyebrows slightly at him.

"Okay! But act surprised! We're having a girl!" he grinned. Lester sucks at keeping secrets when he's excited. If Alex finds out he'll probably tell her that we beat it out of him.

We all froze in surprise for a second. _Lester Santos is having a daughter?_

Bobby was the first one to recover. "Les, that's awesome man! Congratulations!" Bobby said. We all shook his hand and offered him our congratulations.

Alex then came in holding a cup of tea. "I got kicked out of the kitchen and ordered to sit down and put my feet up" she explained. Lester just stood there grinning from ear to ear. Alex took one look at his face and said, "You told, didn't you?"

"Angel, I'm sorry! I just couldn't keep it in!" he said as he pulled his wife into his lap and kissed her shoulder.

"I want to be mad at you, but I may have just told the girls," she admitted.

Ranger snorted. "I never thought I'd meet a woman who would be this perfect for my cousin," Ranger said shaking his head.

Les kissed his wife's hair and just grinned.

The other women filtered in with some cheese, crackers and fruit. Each woman had a glass of wine in their hand and we all sat around talking for a bit.

We talked about Elaina going to Washington, we talked about how RangeMan ran without the guys, Lula told us about work and how well Erik's talks with her boys are going and we gossiped a little about Jeanne Ellen and Erik. It was all very pleasant and polite. The girls teased Ranger about finally seeing his house which he was able to take in stride.

A buzzer went off and Elaina and Steph hurried back to the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later we were called to the dining room. I walked in and was blown away at the spread. The table was beautiful with lots of white linen with burgundy accents. There were flowers, candles and napkin rings.

The food was also stunning. There was a bowl of green beans which looked like they'd been tossed in garlic, roasted potatoes and onions, steamed broccoli, and in the center was a large roast chicken.

"I'm impressed ladies," I said.

"Steph did most of the work," Elaina said giving Steph a proud smile.

"Don't worry, Elaina supervised every step! Everything is edible and cooked properly. Elaina checked," Steph assured us. She was smart enough to know that we'd all been burned by her before and were understandably hesitant.

We sat down and I'll admit it, the food was delicious. Bombshell did a helluva job. We fell into easy conversation and I realized how familial this all felt. Our women really blended into our family. It was nice.

"Are you getting excited to become Elaina Brown?" Lester asked Elaina.

"I'm very excited to marry Bobby but I'll still be Elaina Merritt," she said with a smile.

Bobby froze. "What? When did you decide you weren't taking my last name?" he asked.

"I was never planning to take your last name. I've already built my career and reputation off my name," Elaina said.

"Baby, I love you, but you have the reputation of being a complete-," Bobby was cut off by a look from Ranger and a warning headshake. Stephanie's eyes widened and her lips pursed as she shot Bobby a look.

Bobby took a calming breath and tried a different approach.

"So we're going to be Robert Brown and Elaina Merritt? We're never going to have the same last name?" he reiterated.

"You're more than welcome to take my last name, if it's that important to you," Elaina said mildly.

Lester snorted and Bobby shot him a death glare.

"We'll discuss this later," Bobby grumbled.

Elaina shrugged and continued eating.

"Are you two planning to stay the weekend here?" I asked Ranger and Stephanie, deftly changing the subject.

"We'll head back to RangeMan Sunday evening. I have a contract worker coming to look at seven Monday morning," Stephanie replied.

"Contract worker?" inquired Ranger, slowly turning towards Stephanie.

"Yeah, I figured they could look at your office and see what it would cost to expand it a little bit and turn it into a guest bedroom. You know, for Julie or if your grandmother wants to come up," she said.

"Were you going to talk to me about this?"Ranger asked.

"Of course! I was going to get some estimates _then_ talk to you," Steph explained.

"Talk to me about the cost or getting rid of my office?" he asked.

"Why do you need an office? You have one two floors down!" Steph pointed out.

I could tell Ranger was suppressing a groan. But he swallowed his annoyance and just gave her a curt nod and continued eating.

Alex, Lester, Lula and I continued carrying the conversation while the other two couples were quiet.

"Have you guys bought stuff for the baby yet?" Lula asked.

"Not really. I've been doing research though. I found the best stroller, best high chair, best bouncing chair, I've even found the best breast pump," Les said with a grin.

"Breast pump? Why would we need a breast pump?" asked Alex laughed.

"Because there may be times when you can't feed the baby and it would be good to store the milk so I'll be able to help with feedings," Lester explained.

"I can't breast feed! How am I supposed to work? I can't exactly stop to pump when I'm in the field. Not to mention contract work," she pointed out.

"Contract work! When the hell do you think you'll be able to go back to contract work? Do you really think you're just going to be able to walk out of the hospital and be ready for a mission?" Lester asked.

"No, it's going to take me a few months to get back into shape and I want to spend some time at home with the baby before going back, but I am going back," Alex said firmly.

"Breast feeding is good for the baby. Everything I read said you should be trying to breast feed for a year," Lester argued.

"I was never breast fed and I'm perfectly fine," Alex said.

"I was breast fed and so was Ranger! I've met Stephanie and Tank's mothers, I bet they were too!" Les argued.

All eyes turned to Steph and me; we both nodded uncomfortably. I really wanted nothing to do with this conversation.

Lula was looking at Alex sympathetically and felt the need to help her girl out. "I was never breastfed, either and I'm fine. It was a good thing I wasn't too. My bitch of a mother was probably high," she said.

Alex gave her a grateful smile which was returned.

Lester turned to Bobby and Elaina. "What about you two?" Lester asked.

Elaina refilled her wine glass. "I don't know and I'm not asking," she said as she took a swig of wine.

Bobby shrugged. "I don't have a clue," he answered.

"I can't imagine your mother breast feeding. You probably had a wet nurse," Elaina pointed out.

Steph snorted and Bobby shot her a look. Steph glanced back at him apologetically. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Elaina really hasn't mentioned Bobby's wealthy family or the money before. Maybe she was hitting the wine bottle while cooking today. Not saying I blame her. I'd be knee dip in whiskey if I had to spend the day cooking with Stephanie.

We all went back to eating in silence. I felt Lula nudge me under the table. Lula and I can communicate without words. We're that close. Now she was letting me know that this party was going downhill fast and we needed to figure out how to make a quick exit after dinner. We were surrounded by couples who were ready to kill each other.

Lula tried to start a more positive conversation. "Are you excited to have a girl?" she asked Lester and Alex.

"I am, I can't wait to dress her up and teach her all the things that I know," Alex beamed.

Stephanie's eyes widened. She may have been thinking about that "little incident" at the gelato shop. Alex has skills that most people can't even imagine. I pictured a beautiful, tiny, ballerina-ninja child, with Les's green eyes and Alex's dark brown hair, running around RangeMan sweeping the leg of one of her "uncles" as she runs away giggling. I was excited to be an uncle. I love kids, as long as I'm not the one ultimately responsible for them. I love Ranger's daughter Julie, but she only comes up a few times a year, most of the time Ranger goes down to Miami to see her.

"I'm terrified," Lester replied.

"Oh yeah?" Bobby asked.

"Yeah, it reminds me of something one of my uncles said. 'When you have a boy, you only have to worry about one cock. When you have a girl, you have to worry about every cock,'" Lester explained.

All the guys chuckled. _It's too true._ I think there were several eye rolls from the women.

"I don't know what you're so worried about. This is my daughter we're talking about. She'll be able to defend herself," Alex pointed out.

"She's also going to have your freaking hormones! I'm going to have to have her fitted for a chastity belt and put her in a goddamn nunnery before she turns thirteen!" Lester exclaimed.

"_My_ hormones? What about yours? I was very restrained before we met. You were a complete slut!" Alex shot back.

"I can't be a slut! I'm a guy!" Les argued.

Elaina made a small noise in her throat at that comment. _Oh my god. This is going so badly._ I shot Lula a look in desperation.

My woman tried once again to change the subject. "Elaina, Alex and I were talking about your bachelorette party," Lula said.

"Bachelorette? I haven't even thought about it," Elaina admitted.

"Yeah, I was hoping that you'd have it soon before I got any bigger. I've never been to one," Alex explained.

"You're not missing much. It usually involves dinner, drinking, dancing and having some stranger thrust his crotch in your face while giving you a lap dance," Elaina explained.

Bobby choked a little. "You've gotten a lap dance?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Haven't you?" Elaina turned to him as she raised her eyebrows.

Bobby's jaw tensed slightly. We're guys; of course we've all had lap dances! I know it's a double standard but none of us like the thought of some man touching and grinding against our women. I could only imagine Bobby's mental picture. He was gripping his fork so hard his knuckles were turning white.

"I still want to go!" Alex interrupted.

"We can have it whenever. Just let me know what weekends work for you," Elaina assured her.

"I'm excited! I haven't been out dancing in forever!" said Steph.

"I know a decent male strip club. Much better guys then what you normally get," Lula chimed in.

"I've never had a lap dance before! This is going to be fun!" Alex said bouncing up and down.

"Hold up! My pregnant wife is NOT getting a lap dance!" Lester interjected.

"Are the strippers completely necessary?" Ranger asked.

"Of course they are!" Lula said in horror. "I've never been to a bachelorette party without them!" she exclaimed.

"Do you really like some random guy rubbing up against you?" growled Bobby.

Elaina sighed. "No. The guy is usually my height with over worked muscles and backne from all the steroids he's on," she explained. Elaina paused and looked thoughtful for a minute. "However, I am willing to negotiate. If I can't have strippers then you can't have strippers," she said sweetly to Bobby.

Now it was Lester's turn to look horrified. "No strippers! Merritt, you've lost your damned mind, if you think that the celebration of Bobby's last days as a single man aren't going to include female company," Lester said.

"You didn't have a bachelor party," Elaina pointed out to Lester. This is true. Alex and Les got married in Vegas before Alex left on an extremely dangerous mission.

"We didn't have time and I was planning to make up for it at Bobby's!" Lester said.

"Well, then I think it's only fair that Alex gets to make up for missing her bachelorette at mine," Elaina said easily.

Alex's eyes widened. "Really! You'd share your bachelorette with me?" she asked.

"Sure. You deserve to have one, too," Elaina said.

Lester groaned. "Angel, you wouldn't really let another man give you a lap dance, would you?" he asked.

"Would you let another woman?" asked Alex. Lester groaned again.

"My terms are the same. If I can't have strippers then you can't have strippers. All you have to do is think about which is more important to you: Getting a lap dance or preventing your future wife from getting a lap dance," Elaina said to Bobby.

Ranger turned and looked at Stephanie. "Little help?" he asked her.

"Oh, no. I'm not getting involved in this one. I don't really care one way or another about lap dances but I think Elaina does have a point that it's unfair if there's two different sets of rules," Steph said.

Ranger sighed. "You wouldn't really get a lap dance would you?" Ranger asked.

"I mean…if everyone else was doing it," Steph said with a grin.

"I most certainly will!" Alex chimed in. Lester growled.

"So if everyone else jumped off a building?" Ranger asked.

"Oh, I'd be right next to them Batman. Count on it," Steph teased.

"Fuck it! Fine! No strippers!" Bobby conceded.

"It's always a pleasure doing business with you," Elaina said as she smiled at Bobby.

"This is what I get for marrying a fucking lawyer," Bobby grumbled.

I bit my tongue throughout this conversation. I don't like the idea of any man touching Lula but I know what happens at bachelor parties and from my understanding bachelorettes are relatively tame in comparison. I wasn't going to get myself in trouble over this petty shit. Apparently, Lester and Bobby haven't quite learned how to choose their battles.

"Worst bachelor party ever," mumbled Lester.

"Yes, honey, but now you don't have to worry about some naked man putting his hands on your pregnant wife," teased Alex.

Lester's jaw tightened.

"Ace, please stop poking the bear. Lester's had a rough few weeks and an even rougher homecoming. Give the man a break," I begged.

Alex leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Lester's cheek. He visibly relaxed. At least I hope it was just a soft kiss. Ace's hands were hidden from view and I wouldn't put it past the two of them to start fooling around under the table. I shuddered internally. They really have no shame.

"So what are you going to do for Bobby's bachelor party now that strippers are off the table?" Elaina asked.

"Gambling?" Ranger suggested.

"Oh, hell yeah! We could head up to AC," Lester said as he perked up.

"I don't ever turn down a poker game," I said.

"Atlantic City it is," Bobby grinned.

Everyone drank a little more (except Alex) and we all started to relax. We finished dinner and the guys volunteered to clean up the kitchen while the women went to the den chatting and relaxing.

Lester peaked out the door to make sure none of them were in ear shot.

"So, we're totally having strippers, right?" Lester asked.

"Absolutely," Ranger said.

"Fuck yeah," I chimed in.

"No! You don't understand Elaina. She doesn't get mad, she gets fucking vindictive. You all look at her and think she's just so small and cute and she hates violence, but I'm telling you. It won't be worth it!" Bobby pleaded.

"Man, you gotta relax. Elaina doesn't even give a shit about the strippers. She just doesn't like the double standard," Les pointed out.

I knew Lester was right, but I didn't think that would save Bobby from Elaina's wrath. I kept my mouth shut to be on the safe side. These fools could dig their own graves. I would most likely confess to Lula and swear her to secrecy. Which means, as soon as she was out with the girls and had more than one drink, they would also know.

_Fuck it, I'm just going to start wearing a cup around Elaina._

Steph's POV

I thought the dinner party went rather well, besides some of the hiccups through dinner. Ranger didn't freak and throw everyone out so I'd say it was a win. Everyone had just left and I was finally alone with _Carlos_.

I was a little wine drunk and my Hungarian hormones were awakening. Carlos and I usually had crazy, passionate sex as soon as he comes home but after the drama at the gelato shop all I wanted to do was sleep with Carlos holding me.

Now, I was drunk, horny and just staring at my extremely sexy boyfriend who was sitting on the couch watching Sports Center. I took a sip of wine and strutted my ass over and positioned myself directly in front of him.

"Babe?" he asked.

I placed a hand on my hip. "Are you sad about not having strippers?" I asked playfully.

Carlos just raised an eyebrow at me.

I unzipped the side of my dress and slipped it down over my hips. Both Carlos' eyebrows were now raised. "Because, I was thinking that if you're really sad, maybe I could perform for you," I teased as I bit my lip. I pushed my elbows together around my breasts shoving my cleavage in his face. I heard his breath catch. I turned around and wiggled my ass playfully. I know these weren't the most sexy moves, but I wanted to have a little fun with him.

I heard a growl escape Carlos. _Uh oh. _Next thing I knew I was pinned to the couch with Carlos on top of me.

"Playing with fire, Babe," Carlos said right before his mouth captured mine.

I didn't get a chance to even say anything. My bra was across the room in seconds and Carlos's mouth was on me. I was moaning as his kisses went down my throat and found my breasts. I arched my back, begging him for more.

He complied and my panties were ripped from my body. I mentally thought about how my Victoria Secret card was going to take another hit at the mall tomorrow. Those thoughts were interrupted by what Carlos was doing with his hand.

I pulled at his shirt and pants. Carlos didn't even give me a chance and shed his clothes his seconds. He was on top of me thrusting hard within seconds. It was rough and needy and he was hitting that perfect spot. I was digging my nails into his back. He continued thrusting hard and reached a hand between us to stroke me. I was so turned on I only lasted another thirty seconds.

He didn't last long after me and we were panting on the couch with clothes scattered around us. "Holy hell, Batman, you're really good at that," I gasped.

"You can't tease me like that, Babe. Especially when I've been gone for three weeks," Carlos explained with a grin.

"Hmmm, I think I should tease you like that more often," I said.

"I promise I won't complain," Carlos said as he kissed my forehead.

"Speaking of you not complaining, thank you for tonight. I know I kinda sprung things on you," I admitted.

"Babe, I hate dinner parties, cocktail parties, weddings, and really any social event that you have to get dressed up for. But if you promise to reward me the way you just did, I'm be willing to go every night," Carlos said, giving me a 600 watt smile.

"That's good to know, because I have a cousin's wedding in a few months," I teased.

"Well, we should probably put you on a payment plan, starting now," he grinned at he picked me up to take me upstairs.

"I can live with that," I said.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N - JE owns everything you recognize.**

**Sorry for the delay. I had some crazy writer's block not to mention I felt fat, hated my job, don't like my new city and was slogging my way through school applications. Basically, I threw myself a pity party and struggled to get out out of my own way. But then magically my amazing beta came back from vacation and gave me a good pep talk. I grabbed some peanut butter m&ms (they make everything better) and the words started flowing once again! THANK YOU VABABE! I rewrote this chapter several times, so I hope it still reads smoothly. Thanks for all the support and I promise we're getting back to a much better schedule!**

Chapter 21

Erik's POV

I rolled over and looked at Jeanne Ellen's sleeping form. The sheet was pulled up to her waist leaving her chest bare and exposed. We were at her place and had just spent another amazing night having balls to the wall insane sex. I've never met a woman like Jeanne. She was tough, strong, confident, and she was the sexiest thing in leather I've ever seen.

The last few weeks with Jeanne have been incredible, probably some of the best of my life. She was fun, sexy and surprisingly easy to talk to. I told her about my son Cody and she didn't even bat an eye. It didn't faze her one bit. I still had to tell her about the custody shit and I needed to do it soon now that a court date had finally been set.

Elaina and Shover were right, I needed character witnesses. My bitch of an ex got wind on my treatment of women and was using it against me. Elaina said it was a conflict of interest for her to be a witness considering she was working with Shover to help me. Alex, Steph and Lula all readily agreed to testify on my behalf, though. That was a huge relief. I didn't want to ask Jeanne; I wanted to protect her from all this. It was a weird feeling for me, to feel protective of a woman again. It was …nice.

Jeanne Ellen was everything I could ever ask for. I loved how tough she was. She's a bounty hunter and a damn good one. She didn't need my help, although I'd be happy to give it to her. Sex with Jeanne was also different. It's been so long since I've had feelings for a woman; I'd forgotten what it was like to have sex with someone you actually care about.

Before, I would make sure the woman was turned on enough to let me have sex with her, but I never really paid much attention to whether she got off or not. I figured it was her problem. With Jeanne Ellen, I wanted sex to be as good for her as it was for me. I cared, a lot. I loved making her come, and hearing my name fall from her lips. It was the most amazing sound in the world. After my ex, I never thought I'd be in a relationship again but I can't imagine knowing Jeanne Ellen and not wanting a relationship with her.

All the guys at RangeMan must be fucking crazy not to have hit on her. I can't understand how they didn't. I mean, the other guys' women are hot and cool to hang out with, but they don't hold a candle to Jeanne Ellen.

I imagine sex with Stephanie is a ridiculous affair. Kinda like everything else in her life. Her A.D.D. would kick in and she wouldn't be able focus for more than two minutes. She'd probably burst into sporadic fits of laughter and she'd insist on snack breaks. Lula probably orders Tank around, demanding he perform certain acts on command. Christ, she used to be a professional; I wonder if she ever compares him to the other guys? I wouldn't be able to handle that.

Alex probably fucks like a dude. I bet she's really aggressive and Santos has to be careful he doesn't end up getting killed. Shit, he most likely worries about Alex breaking his neck with her thighs every time he goes down on her. And then there is Elaina. Cold, calculating Elaina. I used to think she had a fire or something underneath that up-tight lawyer demeanor but I may have misjudged her. I picture sex with Elaina as detached. She probably doesn't make any noise and looks bored and uninterested throughout the entire thing. I don't know how Brown's ego could handle that. Mine certainly couldn't.

I crawled over Jeanne Ellen's sleeping form. Her large, soft breasts were laid out before me. I figure if I was going to get some news that I might not want to hear, I'd be much more receptive after a blow job. I began kissing Jeanne's chest and listening to her soft moans. Her hands began running up my back and I felt her nails as I made my way down her stomach and began going down on her. Well, if Jeanne Ellen is anything like a guy, once she comes I can basically tell her anything and she'll be fine with it.

She came hard and moaned loudly; I made my way back up and relaxed once I saw the satisfied look on her face.

"Mmmmmm. That was so much better then waking up to my alarm," she purred.

I chuckled. "I'll be glad to be your wake-up call any time," I said as I nuzzled her neck.

She rolled over and looked at me with her gorgeous, dark almond eyes. "So what's going on?" she asked.

_Shit, was I that obvious?_

"Maybe I just wanted to do something nice for you and I really enjoy going down on you," I explained as I kissed her dark silky hair. _That wasn't a complete lie._

"Yeah, but we usually have sex afterwards and you're not even trying too. Erik, what's really going on?" she asked again.

Jeanne Ellen isn't just a bad ass bounty hunter; she's also basically a private investigator. I was stupid to think I could slip something past her. I sighed.

"I'm about to enter a custody battle for Cody. My ex tried to claim he wasn't mine and I've finally been able to get a DNA test. Now we're about to fight it out. I'm looking for joint custody," I explained.

Jeanne Ellen sat up abruptly. "Hold on, your ex claimed your son wasn't yours? Erik, that's some serious fucked-up shit. Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm getting there. That's one of the multitude of reasons I'm seeing a shrink. I also don't have the best track record with my treatment of women after we split up," I explained slowly.

Jeanne Ellen seemed to mull that over. "You've never been anything but respectful towards me," she said.

"Well, that's because you'd probably beat my ass," I admitted.

"I've seen you out with a bunch of the RangeMan women and you seem to be on good terms with all of them," she pointed out.

"Yeah, they kinda gave me a kick in the ass when I first started working there. They're also helping me with my custody case," I said.

"What can I do? Do you want me to dig up dirt on your ex? Do you need me to go to court with you?" she asked.

I breathed out a sigh of relief. Nothing got to this woman. She was unflappable.

"Jeanne, I love that you want to be there for me, but I want to keep this separate from you, at least for now. I haven't had a relationship with Cody and its going to take some time for me to build one. I talked to my lawyer and a social worker and we decided that if I get custody, we'll start with once a week supervised visits and then slowly build from there until I have full joint custody. Cody's only four. I don't want to scare him by taking him away from his mom several times a week before he has the chance to get to know me. I want to be honest with you, but I think it's for the best, at least for now, if I keep our relationship separate from Cody," I explained nervously.

Jeanne tilted her head thoughtfully. "I understand," she replied.

_Huh? _I was expecting her to get pissed, possibly throw a bitch fit. I was at least expecting her to have more of a reaction.

"You understand? You don't want to discuss this any further?" I asked quizzically.

"We can if you want. Erik, you need to work this situation out with your ex, than develop a relationship with your son. I get it, and I agree we need to be a little more serious before I get involved in your child's life," she said as she climbed out of bed and threw on a t-shirt and some panties. "Did you want coffee?" she asked easily.

"So...we're good? You're not breaking up with me?" I asked.

"I wasn't planning on it," she said mildly.

_This felt too easy._ "Is this a woman mind trick thing? Am I going to get it later? Are you going to slip ex-lax into my coffee or something?" I asked.

Jeanne Ellen turned towards me and leaned against the door frame. "I'm glad you're seeing a shrink Tanner because you sure as hell have issues," she commented with a head shake.

I leaned back into the pillows and looked up at the ceiling. "Tell me about it," I sighed.

Lester's POV

I felt a sensation on my stomach and it was traveling lower. _Oh for the love of God, please just let me sleep. I'm so fucking tired. _Alex's hand started attempting to awake me from my desperately needed slumber. _I am so tired I can barely move._ Her goddamn hormones during this trimester are threatening to break me. It's like she just got back from a mission, but all the time! We had sex three times last night and she's waking me up so we can go at it again and then she'll join me in the shower. She'll be in my office at least once if not twice today and then she'll want it before dinner and then possibly after.

I can't even bitch to the guys about it! Not after all the complaining I did when I wasn't getting any. I may have been overly vocal about the fact that my wife wasn't putting out and now that she wants to fuck multiple times a day none of the guys are going to have any sympathy for me. Worse, they'd probably call me a pussy and offer to satisfy my wife for me. Then I'd end up having 0500 appointments on the mats every morning to beat the shit out of all the guys who would even think about hitting on my wife. _Shit._

Alex's hand was performing her magic and I continued to pretend to be sleeping. I could barely walk and I have a meeting first thing this morning. I would kill for another hour of sleep. I felt Alex's lips on my neck.

"Angel, I love you more than anything but my dick is going to fall off if we keep going at it like this. I'm exhausted baby," I tried to explain.

Alex sat up abruptly. I opened my eyes and looked over at her. She was clutching the sheet over her body and her eyes were filled with tears. "Is it because I'm too fat now? I know I've gotten so much bigger this trimester," she said with a shaky voice.

_Oh for the love of all that is holy. This woman is trying to fucking kill me_. I hauled myself up and pulled my crying wife into my arms.

"Angel, you are the most beautiful, sexy, incredible woman that I've ever laid eyes on. I love your pregnant body, you always look fucking incredible. I'm just tired, that's all," I said as I kissed her hair.

"You don't have to lie to me! I know I don't look like I used to," she sniffed.

_I hate hormones. They're the fucking devil. They've kidnapped my sane nympho wife and have replaced her with a hypersensitive succubus who is literally fucking the life out of me. _

"I love the way you look," I said firmly. Alex continued to sniffle. I've been on insane missions with Alex and seen some really fucked up shit and she's never been a crier. But ever since the pregnancy the tears flow regularly and easily.

Alex didn't seem moved by my assurances. I mentally sighed and then began doing what I do best: showing with actions instead of words. I kissed my wife and pushed her back onto the bed. I lifted her leg over my shoulder placing kissed up her legs and settled between her thighs. Alex let out a sigh and then a moan. My wife got the release and assurance she needed while I lost out on my last hour of sleep.

Once Alex was satiated, we showered and I headed to my meeting. _Maybe I can nap under my desk today. _

Tank, Ranger, Bobby, Elaina and Elaina's assistant Ben were waiting for me.

"You look like shit," Ranger commented as I entered the room with a giant cup of coffee.

"You know, you're supposed to sleep before the baby comes," Bobby said eyeing me.

"Fuck all of you," I grumbled.

Elaina and Tank both raised their eyebrows and shot each other a glance.

"Well, I brought Ben in with me because he's been instrumental at finding qualified candidates for the assistant's positions. I have several for you to look over. Tank and I were discussing possibly hiring two assistants, one for Lester and Bobby and another for Tank and Ranger. I thought someone with some sort of medical background would be good to help out Bobby. Especially with the medical inventory, which takes up a lot of time. So the candidates I have in this folder are trained nurses or first responders who also have an admin background. The candidates in the other file have an admin/HR background which I thought would be beneficial for Tank with all the insurance and time-off issues," Elaina explained.

"I've already called the references on every one of these applicants, so all you guys need to do is pick who looks good and set up a few interviews," Ben added.

I began to feel myself nodding off while everyone began discussing the candidates. My head bobbed and all I could think about doing was curling up in my bed…alone.

"Lester!" came Ranger's sharp voice.

"Huh?" I mumbled. I realized everyone was looking at me.

"Did you want to look over the candidates or have any questions for Elaina or Ben?" Tank asked.

"Uhhh," I stumbled. I could barely see straight, let alone come up with anything intelligent to say.

"Dude, I'll make sure we get someone good. Why don't you go lay down. You look like shit," Bobby finally said.

I glanced at Ranger and Tank who both gave me a nod.

"Yeah…thanks. I'm sorry, I'm a mess," I apologized.

"Don't worry about it, we can handle this," Tank said.

I got up to leave and before walking out the door, I turned back. "Just do me a favor and don't tell my wife where I am for a few hours," I pleaded.

Elaina's POV

It was the night of my bachelorette party. Actually, it was the night of Alex and my bachelorette party. We were going to get dressed up, go for a nice dinner and then out dancing. Not the craziest night, but it was definitely more my speed. I'm not really into this stuff but it was kind of sweet to see Alex so excited about a ritual that most of us have become pretty jaded about.

She was positively giddy. I was just looking forward to a night out and a stiff martini. As long as they didn't make me wear a veil or, god forbid, a sash I'll have a good time. Along with Lula and Steph, my friends Vera, Robin and Allie were also coming out.

I went shopping with Greg who was my partner at The Chase Foundation and also my best friend and he helped me pick out a fitted gold dress and some really high heels. It's much flashier and sexier than anything I would normally wear; I would say it's more Stephanie's style or maybe even more Lula's. I'm a touch more conservative.

I decided to pin my hair back and Stephanie did my make-up for me going much heavier then I usually do. I glanced in the mirror at my reflection; I looked sexy. I felt a little shy being dressed like this out in public. I haven't even dared leave the bathroom yet. I took a breath and applied a final layer of lip gloss before exiting the bathroom.

Bobby, Lester, Vince and Ram were sitting in the living room drinking beer and watching TV. I mentally cringed when I walked in. I was hoping to see Bobby alone. "Damn, Thumbelina! Where the hell have you been hiding that ass?" Lester said with a grin as his eyes traveled up and down me.

"Looking good Merritt," Ram said with a nod of approval.

Vince was looking at Bobby whose eyes were wide and staring at me unblinking. "I'm not a doctor, but I think you may have given you fiancé a stroke," Vince said as he clapped Bobby on the back.

Bobby swallowed hard. "You look pretty," he said in a tight voice.

Lester cackled. "Dude, she doesn't look 'pretty', she looks fucking smoking hot!" Lester teased.

I could feel my face flush slightly. "Yeah, Brown. You gonna be okay with her out, dressed like that, at a club with a bunch of single guys sniffing around her?" Ram taunted.

Bobby's jaw tensed. I shot the guys a warning look as I walked to Bobby and slipped my arms around his neck. "I'm glad you think I look nice. I'll be home late, most likely drunk," I said as I gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

Bobby's body was tense. I know that he trusts me but this is the first time I've really gone out like this without him. I go to work functions all the time dressed up and I've had plenty of girls' nights but they're usually much more casual then this.

He wasn't giving me much of a response so I decided it was probably best to leave and let him brood in peace. The guys will feed him beer and bust his balls but Bobby's bad moods usually last all of ten minutes.

"Have a good night. Don't wait up," I said with a wink_. Okay, maybe I shouldn't be taunting him but he needs to lighten up a little._

I grabbed my clutch and headed towards the door. "Elaina!" I heard Bobby call.

I stopped at the door and turned. He walked over to me and grabbed me and kissed me in a way that I wanted to say "fuck the bachelorette party!" and then kick the guys out of the apartment. He broke the kiss and stared into my eyes. "You look incredibly beautiful. I was speechless when I saw you. You are the most gorgeous woman I've ever laid eyes on," he whispered with my face in his hands.

"Nice recovery," I said as I smiled back up at him.

"Have fun tonight, I love you," he said as he gave me another quick kiss.

"Thanks. Love you too," I said with a smile.

I went to Alex's place where Steph was doing Alex's make-up. I walked into the apartment just as Steph was finishing up Alex's lip gloss. Both women looked stunning. Stephanie was in red dress with a fitted bodice and a structured flared skirt. Alex was in an extremely tight black number which showed off her ample cleavage and leaving no doubt that she was pregnant.

"Elaina! You look amazing!" Stephanie said beaming at me.

"Thanks you both look gorgeous," I said.

We headed over to the restaurant where we met up with Lula, Vera, Robin and Allie. Everyone was dressed up and bottles of wine were immediately ordered. Half way through dinner everyone had a decent buzz (except Alex) and the conversation turned to the guys. Steph was currently telling us about Ranger's infatuation with pedicures and how he feels the need to have them done alone.

"He loves them! But he refuses to let me go with him. I walked into the nail shop one time and by the expression on his face you'd have thought I caught him jerking off! God, he's not _even_ that shy about jerking off, I've caught him doing that plenty of times and he didn't even blink," Steph laughed.

"At least he's not OCD like Tank," Lula chimed in. "The man can't handle when the wine glasses aren't in order from ports to reds. I feel like I'm living in a china shop sometimes, I'm not allowed to touch anything! Sometimes, I go in his office and just move things an inch or two, just to mess with him. He goes in there and gets all huffy when he realizes I replaced his blue pens with black," Lula said.

Alex cracked up. "I heard his cursing the over day because he ended up marking up a report with a black pen instead of blue! He ended up redoing his changes because he didn't like the way they looked!" she laughed.

"Come on Alex, we need some dirt on the reformed Casanova," Steph said.

"Well, since we're all sharing, I've recently discovered Lester is irrationally afraid of mice. We were moving stuff back into the townhouse and the door was open and a field mouse slipped in. We were in the kitchen unpacking and it ran across the floor. Lester screamed and jumped on the counter and refused to come down until I got the mouse out of the house. I've never seen him move that fast!" Alex exclaimed.

I couldn't breathe, I was laughing so hard. 6'6'', giant, cocky, badass, Lester Santos jumping on a counter because of a mouse. I would've paid _anything _to see it!

"How are things going with Woody?" I asked Vera Patel as we got control of ourselves. Vera and I have been friends since college. She's a surgical resident and operated on Woody after he was shot a while back. It was actually the night Bobby and I met. They just started dating recently.

"Pretty good, now that I've finally got him to stop calling me Dr. Patel," she said with a grin.

"He didn't!" Steph exclaimed.

"Oh he did, multiple times on our first date. He still slips up but it's much better," Vera explained.

"Alright, Elaina. Your turn, give us some dirt on Bobby. He can't be as perfect as he seems," Allie said.

"Not a lot to give. He's kind, smart, funny, absolutely gorgeous and apparently loaded," I said as I took a swig of wine.

"Boooo!" said Robin. "Give us something, I know you're holding back!" she said.

Of course I was. Bobby and I have plenty of serious issues, just not enough petty ones.

"Well, as most of you know from meeting Bobby, he's incredibly smart and has a photographic memory, but he can't remember to put down the freaking toilet seat to save his life. I can't tell you how many times I've fallen in! I've asked, begged, nagged, cried and yelled and yet he still can't remember. BUT, if you asked him what happened to Ram during a takedown six years ago, he can give you a play by play and then breakdown all the injuries and recoveries. But putting down the toilet seat? Not so much," I said with a grin.

We all continued to laugh and drink and I finally began to relax.

By the time we got to the bar I had a decent buzz on and was feeling much more comfortable about my appearance. We got drinks and danced to a few songs then finally settled at some tables for a break.

We were all just hanging out when a group of guys approached us. "Hey ladies, are you out celebrating tonight?" one of the guys asked.

"We are!" exclaimed Lula. "This one's gettin' married and this one is married and about to pop one out," Lula explained gesturing towards Alex and me.

"Well congratulations! I'm Dan," the guy said as he held out his hands for us to shake. "Let me introduce my friends. We're out for Todd's bachelor party," Dan explained as he made introductions. "This is Todd, Patrick, John, Dave, Brian and Austin," Dan said as he introduced all of us.

"Is it your first?" the man named Austin asked Alex.

"It is! We're having a girl in three months!" Alex said as she lovingly stroked her belly.

"Congratulations. My wife and I just had our first a month ago. A little boy named James," Austin said as he pulled out his iphone and began showing pictures. Austin and Alex immediately fell into conversation about all things baby. Stephanie recognized John from the Burg and they fell into an easy conversation. Some of the guys asked the rest of the girls to dance and everyone began pairing off.

Todd came over and sat next to me. "So you're the bachelorette? When's the big day?" he asked as he held out his hand.

"Elaina," I said as I shook his hand. "Not till April. We wanted to do this early because Alex was eager to have a night out before the baby is born," I explained.

"Understandable. We're getting married next month," Todd said.

"Congratulations. Where's the ceremony?" I asked.

"Indianapolis, it's where my fiancé, Michelle, is originally from," Todd said.

"Nice. Big or small?" I asked with a smile.

Todd sighed. "I really wanted a small wedding but somehow we ended up with this god awful monstrosity," he said with a laugh.

"I know how that it is. My fiance's family gave me a huge guest list and my tiny little beach wedding has now been fire bombed by some gaudy 500 person affair," I commiserated.

"Shit, and I was pissed about the 300 people. I may owe Michelle an apology," Todd said.

"Nah, 300 is still huge," I said.

"Listen, I love my fiancé and there is no way I'm getting in trouble tonight, you seem like the safest option for me to dance with. What do you say? We can have some fun, maybe even flirt a little bit without having to worry about it getting weird," Todd suggested.

I finished my gin and tonic. "You buy me another one and watch your hands and you have yourself a deal," I said.

Todd laughed. "I like your style Elaina. I promise I will be the perfect gentleman but will still make sure you have a good time at your bachelorette party," he said as he helped me up.

Todd bought me another drink and we started dancing. He kept his arms at my waist and we were a little flirty but kept a comfortable distance. Todd was a pretty cool guy. He was a CPA and his fiancé Michelle was a junior high school teacher. They met at a trivia night three years ago when they were on teams who tied and then went to a sudden heat round. They all ended up hanging out after Michelle's team kicked Todd's team's ass and they've been together ever since.

We talked and joked and I have to admit I enjoyed the little bit of attention when Todd told me that I was beautiful. I told him all about Bobby and Todd laughed and said he was always planning on watching his hands but now he wants to make sure that the "holy ghost" could fit between us so my bounty hunter fiancé didn't kill him. I laughed and explained that Bobby wasn't like that and I was very lucky.

"So is he," Todd said with a smile.

"Thanks. You seem like a pretty cool guy too. Michelle is also lucky, I have some single girlfriends," I explained gesturing to some of my friends dancing with his. "Good guys can be hard to find," I explained.

Todd laughed. "I believe it. Those guys are my best friends in the world but they can be complete assholes," he said. "You wanna see the move I used to get my future wife?" he asked me.

"Move?" I said quizzically.

"Oh, yeah. After the trivia, the bar became a little more club like and everyone was dancing and that was when I made my move," Todd explained.

"Alright, I'm in. Show me the move," I said.

"Okay, but you gotta walk away from me," he explained.

I looked at him suspiciously. "Come on Elaina! Just do it," he said.

I turned and slowly began walking away from him. Todd's hand clamped down on my wrist yanking me back to him. Somehow he had me spinning around and then he dipped me down low so my foot was off the floor and my back was arched. My arms were around his neck and he was looking down at me grinning while I looked up at him in complete shock. I had no idea how he managed to do that but I ended up throwing my head back and cracking up.

"I wasn't expecting that!" I said breathlessly as I finally stopped laughing and Todd placed me back on my feet. "Is that how Michelle reacted?" I asked.

"Well, there wasn't quite as much laughing," he admitted sheepishly.

"I'm sorry! That was a really good move. Very sexy, I can totally see why she fell for it," I said.

"Trust me, when you're a CPA you need a move like that. I wouldn't have had a shot with someone as incredible as her without it," he said with a smile.

"It's a great move," I reassured him.

Todd's face suddenly changed. "What's going on?"I asked him.

"There's a guy staring at us. He looks pissed and scary," he said.

I turned slowly to where he was looking and across the bar I saw Bobby's face. It was completely blank but his eyes held a scary intensity. "That's Bobby, my fiancé. Come on, I'll introduce you," I said.

"Uh, I thought you said he's _wasn't_ the jealous type," Todd asked.

"He's not!" _Usually._ "I don't know why he's here but trust me and he just got the wrong impression," I said as I had to physically drag Todd across the bar to meet Bobby.

"What are you doing here?" I asked Bobby lightly as we approached.

"It's almost 3am. The bar's closing so I thought I'd come by with some of the guys to give you all a ride home," he said coldly.

"That's really nice of you," I said trying to diffuse whatever the hell this situation was. "Bobby this is Todd. We just met tonight, it's his bachelor party. His fiancé Michelle is a school teacher and they're getting married next month in Indianapolis," I explained. "Todd this is my fiancé Bobby," I said. Bobby seemed to relax a little as they shook hands.

"Hey man, you have a great girl. We figured we were the safest people to hang out with tonight," Todd explained with a smile.

"Thanks," Bobby said as he placed his arm around me possessively.

"Thanks for tonight Todd; I had a lot of fun. Good luck with everything and congratulations," I said as I broke out of Bobby's arms and placed a light kiss on Todd's cheek.

"You too, Elaina. Thanks for dancing with me. Nice meeting you Bobby," Todd said as he left to go find his friends.

I turned and folded my arms and looked at my fiancé.

"Really?" I said.


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N - JE owns everything you recognize.**

**Special thanks to VaBabe my amazing beta who really helped me tweak this chapter. Real Life is getting crazy (I'm applying to school). I'm currently working on 23, hopfully will post sometime next week. Thanks for sticking with me!**

Chapter 22

Bobby's POV

I keep fucking up. I don't know how I do it, but it just keeps happening. When Elaina came out dressed for her bachelorette party, I really thought I was going to have a stroke. She looked stunning, amazingly beautiful and incredibly sexy and I stood there like an asshole and muttered that she looked pretty while my friends fawned over her. _DUMBASS._

I finally got my head out of my ass in time to tell her how I really felt before she left. After I kissed her I watched her eyes darken with desire. When I told her how she looked, her face softened and I could see how much she loved me. _Why couldn't I just say that shit when she first came out of the bathroom?_

Now, I trust Elaina. She's one of the most loyal people I've ever met and she's never given me a reason not to trust her. But it's hard for me to watch men hit on her. It's hard for any guy.

When we first got together she explained that part of her job was to attend fundraisers and high end cocktail parties to raise money for her charity. RangeMan was working one of her events and I couldn't take the night off to attend with her. I had to stand in the shadows and watch men throw themselves at my new girlfriend. One guy took it too far and Elaina claimed she took care of it. It was a doctor from Saint Francis that her foundation periodically worked with. He was obsessed with Elaina and the status he thought dating a partner in a high end charity would bring. That man ended up assaulting her and almost raping her a few weeks later. I've never forgiven myself for that.

Since then I tend to be protective, probably over protective. Elaina doesn't like it and I'm trying to work on it but it's hard for me. I love her more than anything and want to keep any harm from happening to her. So I carry a heavy load of guilt around with me that she endured all of that on my watch. I was her boyfriend, I'm a trained soldier and I didn't protect her. She points out that I can't protect her from everything and I have to have a little faith that she can handle things on her own. I agree…until I think about that asshole's hands on her and then I don't care what she thinks, I'm going to protect her.

A few of us were hanging in my apartment after the girls left. We were just drinking a few beers and playing video games. The guys were working on planning my bachelor party. We were originally going to wait a few more weeks but Les didn't want to be away from Alex that close to her due date. To be honest, none of the guys were willing to risk the chance of not being here when baby Santos was born, myself included. So we decided to push it up; we were heading up to AC in two weeks. I should be excited, but I was distracted thinking about Elaina.

I know she was out with the girls but it seemed like all the guys were getting texts from their women, except me. Lester was getting a lot from Alex, which I guess isn't too much of a surprise considering she's the only sober one. Ranger got a few from Steph, he just chuckled and said it was clear she was on her way to being completely smashed. Lula sent one to Tank just to let him know she was thinking about him and Vera and Woody we're going back and forth all night. They just started dating and were a little obsessed with each other. I remember when I couldn't go more than a few hours without hearing from Elaina. I glanced at my phone. _Nothing from Elaina._ I shouldn't be upset, I didn't ask her to text me and it was her night. I really wanted her to have a good time.

It was Lester's idea to go pick up all the women. Alex told him that all of them were pretty drunk and Lester thought it would be nice to surprise them and make sure they all got home safely. I was happy to go get my woman. Lester and Woody were also driving and we were going to split up the women and drive them home. When we walked into the bar Alex immediately spotted Les and came right over and threw her arms around him. She also introduced him to some guy she was talking to. Before Lester and she started peppering him with baby questions. Apparently, he has a newborn at home.

Vera spotted Woody and came over, grabbing his face roughly and pulling him down into a brutal kiss. Woody seemed to appreciate this gesture as he wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer. I saw the other women dancing with a group of guys. I finally spotted Elaina across the room talking to some guy. She was looking at him suspiciously and she turned to walk away from him. He grabbed her arm roughly, spun her around and dipped her down. _Oh, it's on now fucker. She's going to tear you a new one and I'll be there to back her up. _I couldn't help but smile as I made my way towards her.

I froze. To my dismay, Elaina burst out _laughing_. She was laughing her ass off while this joker was grinning down at her. She wasn't ready to kill him. She was enjoying it. I felt my body tense as my anger began rising. I slammed down my blank face. The guy Elaina was hanging on spotted me and said something to her. He looked nervous. She spun around and saw me. She smiled as she grabbed the guy and dragged him over to meet me.

She made introductions and the guy finally left after an awkward goodbye.

"Really?" she asked me, looking up at me with an extremely pissed off expression.

"That guy had his hands all over you," I growled.

"Yes, he was touching me. That usually happens when you're dancing with someone. I also danced with a few of his friends. Would you like their names and addresses so you can threaten them? How about the bouncer? He touched my back on the way in; you wanna kick his ass?" she asked, while giving me a challenging look. "Be honest Bobby. If you were going to have strippers at your bachelor party were you not going to let any of them touch you? If you guys go out to a club are you not going to dance with any other woman? I love you and I trust you; if I didn't, I wouldn't have agreed to marry you. I expect the same level of courtesy," she said sharply.

_Christ, she's fucking lucid for someone who's supposed to be shitfaced. _I stood there with my blank face firmly in place. I wanted to argue that it wasn't the same. I was in control in those situations; the guys were always going to have the upper hand with her because she was so small.

We stood there for a moment just glaring at each other. She finally broke the silence. "I'm not doing this. I've had a really good night. Its fifteen minutes to last call. You're buying me a drink and then you're going to dance with me until the lights come on. Got it?" she demanded as she put her hands on her hips.

I looked down at my tiny, fiery fiancé. She wasn't taking no for an answer. She dragged me to the bar, I got her another drink and then she pulled me to the dance floor. Elaina threw her arms around me and we began dancing. She downed her drink quickly, discarding the glass with a waitress before she pulled me closer. She tilted her head up and rose up on her toes to kiss me softly on the lips. I inhaled her perfume and began to relax. I can't stay angry with her, not when she kisses me. It's like fucking kryptonite to my temper.

I kissed her again and held her tight. We began making out on the dance floor. She must have been drunk because she would never let me get away with this amount of public affection. She was making the most delicious sounds and I was happy that the lights finally came on so I could get her home.

"Still mad?" she asked me with a wicked little grin.

"You don't play fair," I said as I began nuzzling her neck.

"And I never will," she whispered.

I sighed as I grabbed her hand and began collecting the other women to take home. Elaina held my hand the entire way back. We took Lula and Steph back to RangeMan. Tank and Ranger were waiting in the garage. Tank laughed as he saw Lula stumble out of the car and he came over to escort her to his own car to take her home. Steph was passed out in the back. Ranger came over, gently pulled her out of the car and picked her up to carry her up to seven.

Elaina got out and stumbled a little bit. I swept her off of her feet as she cuddled to my chest. "Thanks for coming to get me," she mumbled drunkenly.

"Anytime. Sorry I was a prick," I said as we got off the elevator to four.

"You're not a prick. You're just jealous. It can be really cute…sometimes," she giggled as I carried her into our apartment.

"Great now I'm _cute_," I grumbled as I set her down.

"You're not just cute. You're _very_ cute," Elaina said as she gave me another kiss.

Elaina washed up and changed for bed. I used the bathroom and came out in just my boxers. I was hoping she'd be in the mood for some hot makeup sex but when I walked into the bedroom she was sleeping soundly. I slipped into bed and gently took her in my arms. I fell asleep holding her small body tightly in my arms.

Stephanie's POV

I woke up with my head pounding and cursing the sunlight poking through the blinds. _I don't even remember coming home last night. _I struggled to think, the last thing I remember was Bobby and Elaina making out on the dance floor. _Why was Bobby there? _I rolled over and groaned as the jack hammer in my head got louder. _I suck; I really can't drink or hold my booze._

I heard the apartment door open and close. Carlos carefully opened the bedroom door and took a long look at me. "Christ, Babe. You okay?" he asked.

"I'm dying, Carlos. Seriously. Get your damn gun and put me out of my misery," I begged.

He chuckled and came over to sit next to me. He came to hug me and looked a little shocked.

"What?" I asked.

"You smell like you bathed in vodka. Cheap vodka," he said with a grimace.

"I know. I can barely handle the smell of myself," I admitted.

"I got you a surprise. Why don't you go see and then take a nice_ long_ shower," he said with a grin.

I pulled myself up painfully and walked into the living room. Sitting in the middle of the table was a McDonalds bag with the most heavenly smell filling the room.

"You didn't!" I gasped.

"I did. I figured you'd need it and we've been so careful with our diets, this won't kill us," Carlos answered easily.

"Wait, you're eating fast food too? What did I do to deserve you desecrating the temple?" I asked.

Carlos chuckled. "I think I might need to relax every now and then. Don't get too excited, this will be a rare event," he warned.

"I can live with that!" I said as I practically skipped over to the couch. "I have been really good. Do you know-" I started.

"You lost another few pounds? Yeah, Babe, I noticed, which is why you can eat McDonalds occasionally. You don't want to get too thin," Carlos smiled.

"How?" I asked him quizzically as began pulling out a large fry and chicken nuggets from the brown bag.

"I'm used to being able to judge my opponents size," he shrugged. "You're down a few, Lula's down some more too. What has she lost now? Fifty?" he asked.

"Forty-seven. Impressive," I said with a smile as I began stuffing my face.

"Alex has put on a decent number which is impressive considering she lost five her first trimester. Lester was freaking out about that and Elaina's been losing some in preparation for her wedding. She apparently wants to lose a few more and Brown isn't pleased. He's trying to find some way to bring it up without putting his foot into his mouth. Considering his recent track record, I don't know if that's the best idea," Carlos said casually.

"I'm not sure whether to be really impressed or disturbed," I admitted as I began guzzling my coke. "Why does Bobby care so much if Elaina loses a few more pounds? It's not like three or four is going to make that much of a difference," I pointed out as I excitedly began opening up my dipping sauces.

"She's losing her figure. Elaina was already in good shape before they got engaged; she didn't need to lose any weight. Now she's almost down a cup size," Carlos explained.

"And how in the hell would you know that!" I demanded.

Another shrug. "I'm a guy. I notice breasts. It's not like I'm intentionally checking them out it just an automatic reaction when I see a woman," he explained.

"It is not!" I declared between mouthfuls of delicious greasy, hangover curing food.

"Yep. You're normally a medium to large C but since you lost some weight and now your more like small C large B. Lula's used to be a double D but is now just a D. Alex was a medium B but is up to a large to medium C. Vera's an A but it works on her considering she's only 4' 11''. Elaina was a medium to small B but now she's a solid A. She's also lost some of her ass. Bobby just misses her curves and thinks she's going overboard," he explained.

"I can't believe you know bra sizes! Do you all do this?" I asked.

"All guys notice. They're just not nearly as perceptive with sizes as the guys here are," Carlos said with a grin as he stole a fry.

"So you're saying all the guys at RangeMan have noticed that my boobs have gone down a size?" I asked.

"I don't really want to think about it, but probably," he said.

"That's so weird," I commented.

"We're guys. It's just the way we're built," Carlos laughed.

"So you don't like it when I lose too much weight because my boobs get smaller? Is this why I get to eat McDonalds?" I asked suspiciously.

"I didn't say that," Carlos said quickly. He was smart enough not to walk into that trap. "I want what every guy wants. I want you to eat right, exercise and generally take care of yourself. I just want you to be healthy and feel sexy. Especially the sexy part, because the sexier you feel the more likely I am to get laid," he explained with a grin.

I rolled my eyes but was secretly pleased with his response.

"So what time are you going to work today?" I asked as I finished up my last nugget and polished off my coke.

"I'm not. I got up, did my workout this morning then banged out a few hours of paperwork so I could take the rest of the day off," he said.

"Really?" I said in surprise. "Oh, Carlos! I wish you told me you were going to do that, I wouldn't have gotten that drunk last night and we could've done something fun together!" I said. This made me feel so guilty. Here he was making an effort to spend time with me and all I was up for was laying on the couch moaning.

"Babe, relax. I figured we could just hangout in sweats and maybe watch some 'Breaking Bad' on Netflix," he said.

"Really? You mean you're gonna have a lazy day with me!" I asked excitedly.

"That's the plan. There's just one stipulation," he said.

"What's that?" I asked as my brow furrowed.

"You have to shower. I feel like I'm getting drunk off your fumes," Carlos said.

"I'm not that bad!" I said defensively. I pulled out my t-shirt and sniffed. _Christ, I reek._ "Okay, maybe it is that bad," I grumbled.

Carlos cleaned up the McDonalds while I jumped in and took a luxurious, hot, twenty minute shower. I came back to the living room in clean sweats and smelling significantly better. Carlos was already sitting on the couch. He changed into sweatpants and a soft t-shirt. I snuggled up to him as he threw a blanket over us. He kissed my wet hair and we spent the rest of the afternoon watching "Breaking Bad" and napping. It was one of the best days I'd had in a long time.

Lula's POV

I dragged my hung-over ass to yoga. I figured a little sweat could make me feel better. Alex and Erik were already there. I dropped my mat next to Alex and collapsed on the floor.

"How are you feeling?" Erik asked with an eyebrow raise.

"Like shit. Remind me the next time we're out that shots are _always_ a bad idea," I moaned.

The instructor came in and I spent the next hour stretching and trying not to vomit.

After class Alex suggested we go to the juice bar. She said that it might make me feel better and I was pretty much willing to try anything at this point.

We got our juices and crowded around a small table to catch up.

"So how are things with Jeanne Ellen?" I asked Erik.

"Good. I finally told her about the custody battle and she took it well. Maybe too well," he said.

"What's 'too well'?" I asked.

"She just accepted it and I keep waiting for the retaliation. Like she's going to poison my coffee or something," he admitted.

"Jeanne Ellen would never poison you! That wouldn't be her style. She likes knives; I bet she'd cut or stab you if she wanted to hurt you," Alex explained.

Erik and I froze and slowly turned to stare at her. "Is that supposed to make me feel _better_?" Erik asked incredulously.

"Why do you know this shit?" I asked Alex, shaking my head.

She shrugged. "I just study people and threats. Jeanne Ellen isn't a poisoner. She's more violent and she's really comfortable with knives. That's more her speed," Alex attempted to explain.

"Do you think about all of us in these terms?" I asked slowly.

"Yeah. The guys are all really easy. The women are more interesting and diverse," Alex said.

"Oh, I gotta hear this. Come on Sweetheart, please enlighten us," Erik said as he took a sip of his juice.

"Okay. Lula would use her gun. She tends to be a little trigger happy, it would be her go-to defensive or even offensive move," Alex started.

I wish I could say Alex was way off base, but I do love my gun and when I used to be a bounty hunter with Stephanie I had a tendency to shoot first, question later.

"What about Steph and Elaina?" Erik asked.

"With Stephanie, it would be a crime of passion. Anything she could get her hands on. I picture a golf club, kinda like Tiger Wood's wife. Elaina is definitely a poisoner," Alex said firmly.

"Yeah, I totally see it. She'd be real devious," Erik agreed. I just snorted and shook my head. Alex may have nailed it, but I'm not going to admit it.

"What about you?" I asked Alex. It didn't seem fair that she left herself off the list.

"I like contact. I'd prefer to use my bare hands," Alex said simply. Erik cringed and physically leaned back.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Alex doesn't always realize the impact of what she's saying. She sounded like we were talking about what we're having for dinner.

"How are the other ladies recovering today?" I asked Alex, changing the subject.

"I saw Bobby and Elaina in the gym this morning. She was moving a little slower but seemed okay. Ranger was planning on getting Steph McDonalds and spending the day upstairs. She hasn't left seven but I assume she's still alive," Alex said.

"Ranger's actually going to take a day off to just be lazy?" I asked.

"I guess so," Alex shrugged.

I don't think Ranger could pull off a whole day on the couch. He probably sneaks into the bathroom to do push-ups and crunches.

"Well, wonders never cease. That woman must have a magical pussy," Erik commented.

Now it was our turn to cringe. "Ew," was all Alex said as she looked at Erik and shook her head.

"And you were doing so well," I sighed as I rolled my eyes at him.

Erik looked a little sheepish then changed the subject. "Anything fun going on with you and Tank?" he asked.

"No. It's been a while since anything fun happened. I think we're in a rut," I admitted.

"What do you mean, 'rut'?" Alex asked with a frown.

"Well, it's not like we're fighting or anything but we're not really having the same level of …quality time like we used too," I said.

"Quality time? Didn't you guys just spend the day together?" Alex asked quizzically.

"She's talking about sex Ace," Erik explained with his own eye roll.

"Oh!" Alex said. "Just walk in and start going down on him. That usually works on Lester," Alex said.

"Please, all you have to do is glance at Lester and he's ready to go. Man is a walking hard on," I said with an eye roll.

"Yeah he's gotta be the horniest dude I've ever met," Erik agreed.

Alex blushed a little. "So what seems to be the problem?" she asked.

"It's just that neither one of us are in the mood lately. We'd both just rather sleep. I'm afraid we're losing the passion," I said sadly.

"Listen, it's been awhile since I was married but I remember going through phases with my ex. We'd be all over each other, going at it constantly then we'd be back to regular sessions and then sometimes we'd go a few weeks without," Erik explained.

"How do you fix it?" I asked.

"Sometimes, you just need to take some time and inject a little romance. Go out of town for a weekend, do something romantic," Erik suggested. "You just need a little jump start," he explained.

"Maybe you're just getting bored. Have you tried toys, costumes, bondage?" Alex asked me.

"You'd think, given my background, but Tank and I never needed all the stuff. But maybe it's time," I said thoughtfully.

I sat back and thought what they both said. It felt like forever since Tank and I had gotten away. Our work schedules had been crazy and we'd both come home exhausted. Maybe it's time I stepped it up in the romance department not to mention we could start experimenting with our sex life and that could be fun.

Alex, Erik and I continued gossiping while my mind began working on plans to inject a little romance into my relationship.

_We're the couple that's not having kids which means we get to keep our hot sex life. That's the trade off! Right?_


	23. Chapter 23

**A/N - JE owns everything you recognize.**

**Special thanks to my amazing beta VaBabe. You give me the best ideas! Happy hoildays to all those in the states! I'll be back next week with another chapter! Loving all the support and reviews!**

Chapter 23

Alex's POV

It's official. We're less than six weeks away from Ana Kami Santos making her appearance. We're naming her after my mother. I feel like it's a way to always have a piece of my mother with me. "Kami" is an Armenian name which means wind. Les really liked that. Being in the wind is a big part of our relationship and how we met.

Lester and I attended Lamaze classes, baby classes and even one on how to raise your child in a "green" environment. I can get behind the organic food and cleaning products but I told Les I don't see us being the reusable-diapers type of parents.

The nursery is decorated in a jungle theme and we've begun stocking up on various baby supplies with lots of help from Lester's mother. Inez has been a dream mother-in-law and is so really supportive. I can honestly say that she sees me as a daughter and it's been amazing to have an actual family.

Bobby's bachelor party is this weekend so while the guys are gone the girls thought we could have my baby shower. I'm really looking forward to it considering I've never even been to a baby shower before. Steph said she's been to a thousand and could plan this thing with her eyes closed, so she's in charge. I think you just eat and open baby gifts, but what do I know?

I'm going to miss Les this weekend but I'm exhausted and it'll be nice to have the apartment to myself. My hormones are calming down, which I guess is a good thing. I think Les started hiding from me at one point. I know he doesn't like to admit when my sex drive gets too much for him.

I no longer need sex all the time; now I need sleep. I'm getting so big that it's hard for me to get comfortable at night. Les got me a pregnancy pillow which helps a little but I still have trouble staying asleep. It also doesn't help that Ana's favorite position seems to be right up against my bladder. I can't tell you how many times I have to get up to pee. It's even getting physically harder for me to get up; a few times I've had to wake Les up to help pull me onto my feet. I'm not exactly as agile as I used to be.

We were leaving our last baby class when Lester suggested we go get more baby stuff. I told him we should wait until after the shower. I don't know how, but I guess I forgot to tell him it was going to be this weekend. Anyways, I didn't think this would be a huge deal. Steph said that guys don't go and have no interest. I should've realized that Lester is not a normal guy.

"What shower!" Les demanded as he helped me into the car.

"I'm sorry! I think I forgot to tell you; Steph's throwing my baby shower for me this weekend while you guys are out of town. She thought it would be a good time. It's on Sunday so you guys will either be driving back or hung over," I pointed out.

"I wasn't invited to my own kids' shower?" he asked incredulously.

"I thought guys didn't go," I said quizzically.

"Alex, this may be our only child. I'm not missing a damned thing!" he said forcefully.

"I never thought you'd want to; I thought it was just some girly thing that women do," I explained. "Does this mean the other guys are coming too?" I asked.

"Yes," he growled. "This is Ana's first party; they won't want to miss it," he said. I seriously doubt the rest of the guys are going to be excited about this but if this is what Les wants then its fine with me. But I'm not going to be the one to tell them they'll have to drag their hung-over asses to Steph and Ranger's to make small talk while I open up baby presents.

We went back to the townhouse and I called Steph.

"Hey, I really hate to ask this at the last minute but do you think we can push the shower back a few hours? Maybe have it at five instead of three?" I asked.

"I don't think it's a huge deal, I can just shoot everyone an email. Is everything alright? Are you feeling okay?" Steph asked.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine. It's just Lester wants to come and he wants all the guys there so we need to give them a little more time to get back from Atlantic City," I explained.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. "Steph? Are you there?" I asked.

I finally heard her sputter with laughter as she let out a loud cackle. "You're kidding me! Lester, not only wants to come but he wants all the guys there,_ after_ Bobby's bachelor party?" she managed to get out between peals of laughter.

"Yeah… he was kinda offended that I didn't include him," I said.

"Do all the guys know they're going to be spending Sunday evening at a baby shower?" she asked.

"Ummm, not yet," I admitted.

This caused a more devious laugh. "Oh, this is too good. Please let me do it! Oh. My. God. I can't wait to see Ranger's face!" Stephanie roared.

Her delight had me smiling a little bit, but I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach.

"I think Lester might be mad at me. Did I do something wrong?" I asked nervously. I still struggle with some of the normalcys that most couples seem to know instinctually. I already apologized to Les for excluding him but he was still pouting a little and didn't seem pleased with me.

Steph giggled. "Honestly, most guys would be_ thrilled_ not to have to deal with this kind of stuff. You'd normally get the Wife of the Year award, but this is Les and Les isn't normal. For some insane reason he loves this shit. It's kinda sweet when you think about it," she said.

"Yeah, I guess I just feel bad for hurting his feelings," I explained.

This caused Steph to let out a snort. "Sorry," she apologized. "It's just so weird to hear about this side of Lester. It's so strange to think about Lester Santos having his feels hurt by not being invited to a baby shower. Mind blowing, really," she said.

"How can I make this up to him?" I asked.

"I dunno. What do you normally do when you want to apologize?" she asked.

"I usually just go down on him," I admitted.

Steph let out a sharp laugh. "I'm sure that will work!" she said.

"Okay, well thanks for changing the time for me. I'm going to try to apologize to my husband again," I said.

"No worries. And hey, Alex?" she said.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Between the shower and the blow jobs, you really do deserve the "Wife of the Year" award," she said.

"Thanks," I smiled as I hung up the phone.

I found Les in his office typing furiously on his lap top. "I just got off the phone with Steph and we're pushing the shower back to five and she's letting all the guys know," I said.

"Good," he answered gruffly. He was really irritated.

I walked around the desk and turned his chair to face me. I pushed apart his legs as I slowly got on my knees and began unzipping his fly. "You're very tense, let me help you," I said as I glanced up at him.

"Alex, this isn't necessary, I'm just- Oh fuck. That feels good," Lester sighed as I began going down on him. He ran his hands through my hair and let out a loud moan when he finished.

"Better?" I asked glancing back up again.

"Damnit Angel, you make it hard to stay mad. Let's go to the bedroom and I'll return the favor," he said giving me a wicked grin.

My libido may not be as crazy anymore but my hormones were definitely racing now. I tried standing and that's when I realized to my horror:

I was stuck and couldn't get up. I was officially too big to stand up off the floor.

My hopped up hormones quickly dissipated at this realization.

I looked up at Lester in a panic. "I'm so big I can't even get up!" I exclaimed.

Lester bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Don't you even think about it!" I warned as Lester pulled me to my feet and fought his smile.

Now it was my turn to pout.

Bobby's POV

I was finishing packing for my weekend at Atlantic City with the guys. I needed to meet the guys in the garage and then Les, Tank, Ranger and I were going to ride up together.

Elaina was sitting on the bed watching me. "So, you're really going to come back in time for Alex's baby shower?" she asked.

"Looks like it," I sighed. "Do you know Les called me pussy-whipped because I went to a farmer's market with you when we first started dating and now he's demanding that we all go to a fucking _baby_ shower," I said with a head shake.

"Lester has always been a man of many contradictions," Elaina said with a smile. She and apparently all the other women for that matter thought it was funny as hell that Lester demanded to be included in the shower as well as all the other guys.

I thought Elaina was kidding when she got off the phone with Bombshell and told me that all the guys were now going to the shower, but then again it's Les and nothing that guy does should surprise me anymore.

"Alright, I'm packed. Have a good weekend," I said as I leaned down to kiss Elaina goodbye.

"Have fun, just not too much," she said with a smile.

"Best behavior. Boy Scout's honor," I promised as I grabbed my duffle and headed to the door.

"You were never a Boy Scout!" Elaina called after me.

"Semantics, Baby," I replied as I headed down to the garage to meet the guys.

Just the core team was going up tonight. We were going to hang in, play poker and get drunk. Tomorrow would be the bigger night, most of the RangeMan guys were coming up, I didn't want to admit it, but I'm actually looking forward more to tonight then tomorrow. _Shit, I'm getting old._

The ride up was uneventful. We got in, relaxed for awhile and then went on a liquor store run. We picked up mostly beer considering we didn't want to be too hung over for tomorrow. We ordered a bunch of pizzas and broke off into two groups. Tank, Ranger, Les, Vince and I were playing poker at one table and Manny, Zero, Hector, Cal and Ram were playing at another. Then we'd have a winner and losers round where we'd mix it up based on who went out first.

Vince was pushing us to give up dirt on our women. He claimed it's a bachelor party so there needed to be a little shit talking about our girls.

"Just tell me one thing! There's gotta be something," he demanded. "Tank! You're by far the most reasonable one," Vince said.

"Lula is amazing and I'm a lucky man," Tank said as he threw down a chip.

"No doubt, but there has to be one thing that isn't completely attractive about her?" Vince asked.

"She can't digest cream. She gets insane gas if she has it," Tank said. "Is that the kinda stuff you're looking for?" he asked.

"Yes! That's at least something!" Vince said. "Come on Ranger, you're up," he pushed.

"The morning after Steph drinks she smells like a dude. Whatever she's been drinking just seeps out of her pours. I could get drunk off her fumes some mornings," Ranger said with a head shake.

Lester chuckled. "Oh and Alex is completely perfect?" Ranger said.

"She is most days of the month. It's just the second day of her period is ridiculous. She bleeds right through her pajamas and onto our sheets. I swear it looked like someone was murdered. I didn't think it was humanly possible to lose that much blood and still be walking around," Lester said as he shuddered.

"Your turn Brown!" Tank demanded.

I sighed. "I'm going to preface this by saying it doesn't really bother me and I love and adore my future wife," I started.

"Noted," Ranger said as he threw down his own chips.

"Elaina actually prefers beer to wine and martinis. She just never drinks it because she burps like a god damn truck driver. It's ridiculous to hear this loud sound escape from someone so small, it doesn't even look physically possible. You have to see it to believe it," I chuckled.

"Okay, now on to the good stuff. First time. When and where?" Vince asked.

"Why the hell are you asking these questions? You aren't even seeing anyone," I pointed out.

"Gotta live vicariously," he grinned.

"Shouldn't it be the other way around? You're always out hooking up with some hot chick, we should be hearing stories from you," I said.

"I can't kiss and tell! If word got out I'd lose some of my regulars," he grinned.

I think we all did a collective mental eye roll.

"Well, I did it up right. I took Lula to New York City for the weekend. Fancy restaurant, luxury suite, champagne and strawberries. She was never really romanced before so I wanted our first time to be special," Tank said with a small smile.

Ranger shifted uncomfortably. "I take it you and Steph didn't do the romantic thing?" Vince said.

"It was a long time ago. Way before we got together, before we hooked-up in Hawaii. We had this…tension. I liked her, I cared about her and I wanted to continue to mentor her, we just needed to get it out of the way. She was on a break from the cop and I took the opportunity. I thought we could have one night and then get back to normal. But that's not what happened. We had one night and then I was hooked. She went back to the cop and I continued to kick myself for the next year and a half until I finally got it together to really make a move," Ranger explained.

"I didn't even know that," Tank said.

"I didn't tell anyone," he shrugged. "What about you cuz?" Ranger said.

"First time: when I was injured in Iraq. It was in the hospital bed and it was good enough that I was still thinking about it eight years later. Second time was when I found her in my townhouse. She had broken in, I thought she was going to kill me, she had other things in mind," Les said with a grin.

"Your turn, Brown," Tank said.

"Let me guess, Thumbelina made you wait a month, had exactly two glasses of wine and then strictly missionary," Lester joked.

"Not even close, it was about two weeks in, fourth date, in the kitchen on the counter. She initiated," I said as I dealt out the next hand.

"Damn! Didn't see that one coming!" chuckled Vince.

"She's full of surprises. I'm a lucky man," I said.

We continued talking shit and playing cards late into the night. Ram ended up winning a decent amount of money and I was only mildly hung over the next day.

We got up, worked out and then spent the afternoon watching sports and playing video games. Once all the other guys arrived we got ready and headed to the casino. We spent a few hours gambling and drinking then headed to a steak house for dinner. There was lots of red meat and lots of red wine. I was feeling a nice buzz when we went to the bar.

At the bar we played darts and pool for awhile as we continued to get drunk. We all ended up on the dance floor. I danced with a few girls but my mind kept wandering to Elaina and what happened at her bachelorette party. I hate to admit it but I felt guilty even dancing with someone after giving her such a hard time. I was surprised but kinda glad when Vince suggested that we ditch the bar and go back to the hotel and play some more poker.

It was just after one when we got back to the hotel. We grabbed some beer and started breaking out the cards when there was a knock on the door.

Vince jumped up and swung the door open. Four women walked in dressed in various military "uniforms". "So who's the groom?" one of the women asked.

_Oh shit. _"Over here!" shouted Cal as he clapped me on the back.

"Ladies, I appreciate this but my fiancé will kill me. Literally kill me and I like living," I said as I slowly back away.

The woman in the army uniform immediately ripped off her fatigues exposing a very small fatigue bra and panty set. She straddled me. "Relax baby, we'll take good care of you," she purred.

The guys cheered while I cringed. _I'm so dead._ The other women dimmed the lights and put on some music as they began slowly strip-dancing. They stooped over each guy giving them lap dances and receiving dollar bills.

The tequila bottle was broken out and we all began taking shots. The strippers little bra and panty sets quickly disappeared and they took turns tying us up and tormenting us all. I kept my hands glued to the arms of the chair.

The woman who was currently gyrating on top of me unhooked her black panties and tucked them into my pocket. "Souvenir," she said as she kissed me softly on the cheek. I groaned.

We continued to drink and the women continued to entertain us. All the guys got lap dances and everyone had a good time. The girls finally left around six. We all stumbled to our beds around seven.

The alarm was supposed to go off around ten. It was around one when we woke up.

"Oh holy shit," Lester moaned. "I feel like I'm dying," he said.

I rolled over and glanced at the clock. "Shit, we over slept," I groaned as I pulled myself up. My mouth tasted like stale cigars and my head was pounding.

"I'll get the other guys," Lester said as he hauled himself out and opened the door to the suite.

A few moments later, Lester came back in. "Pack your shit, we can't shower here. The plan is we get back to RangeMan so we can all shower then we'll head over to the baby shower together," Les said.

"Why can't we shower here?" I asked as I grabbed my bag.

"We filled the bath tub with ice and beer in one bathroom and someone vomited in the tub in the other. Tank is currently vomiting, Cal has a slight black eye, Ranger already has his sun glasses on and refuses to take them off and someone drew a penis on Manny's face with lipstick. I haven't decided if I'm going to tell him or not," Lester surmised as he grabbed his bag and began shoving shit in it.

_What the hell happened last night?_

We all somehow managed to get our stuff together and check out within twenty minutes. The ride back to Trenton was brutal and I was relieved when we pulled up to Haywood.

We all stumbled out of the car and Lester decided to give us our orders. "Gentlemen, we have one hour before my kid's shower. None of us are missing it. Go vomit, shit, shower, shave and pull yourself together because we will show up looking and acting respectable or else my wife is going to kill all of us, and you know she can. Got it?" he asked.

We all nodded and broke to head to our own places. I opened the door to my apartment. Elaina was dressed in a coral dress with her hair pinned back. She had on nude heels and was in the process of signing a card to attach to nicely wrapped gift sitting on the counter.

"Hi, how was it?" she asked looking up at me.

"I feel like I'm dying," I admitted.

She slowly stood and walked over to me. She pulled me into a hug and kissed my face. "Go take a long hot shower, I already picked out and ironed your clothes," she said.

"I love you, you know that?" I said as I began heading to the bathroom.

"You may have mentioned it before," she called after me.

I took a long shower and began feeling better. I know I at least smelled better. I came out of the bathroom in my boxers and Elaina called me. I headed to the kitchen.

"Sit, eat," she instructed as she set the McDonalds bag in front of me. She got me a Big Mac, fries and a coke. I could've cried I was so happy.

"I really, really love you," I said as I began stuffing my face.

She just smiled. I finished eating and headed to the bedroom to change.

"Bobby!" Elaina called.

I turned and looked over my shoulder. "What?" I asked.

Elaina held up a pair of black panties with little strings on the side. "Care to explain?" she asked tightly.

"Explain your underwear?" I asked quizzically.

"Since when do I wear panties that hook on the sides," she said as she unclasped a side of the panties. A flood of memories came back to me. _Oh shit. _

"I can explain," I started.

"You had strippers," she said bluntly.

I nodded. "I didn't order them. I didn't touch them. I would never risk our relationship," I said earnestly.

Elaina rolled her eyes. "Bobby, this isn't a cheating conversation; this a double standard, lying, trust conversation," she said as she folded her arms.

"That doesn't sound much better," I winced.

"It's not," she stated.

Ranger's POV

I stumbled onto seven, smelling and feeling like death warmed over. I still couldn't take off my sunglasses. I was practically a god damned vampire at this point. The sun light was killing me.

Stephanie was waiting for me with a sympathetic look. "How are you holding up, Batman?" she asked softly.

"Batman may need to vomit," I explained. She came over and hugged me. She smelled really good and I already felt better just being near her. I felt her stiffen in my arms.

"Babe?" I asked quizzically.

"Since when does Batman wear body glitter?" she asked as she pulled away from me, wiped my neck with her hand and showed me the evidence.

_Fuck. _

"We had strippers. Nothing over the line happened with anyone," I assured her.

"You mean besides the fact that you all promised no strippers because you didn't want us having any, and then you went behind our backs and did it anyways. Besides that, nothing over the line happened," she said as her hands went to her hips.

I stared at her for a minute. She was in a purple dress with her hair in a ponytail. She was wearing silver flats. "You look beautiful," I said truthfully.

"Get in the shower and drink the stupid protein smoothie I made for you," she snapped.

I groaned inwardly.

I got ready quickly and chugged the smoothie. It really made me feel better. "Babe, I'm sorry. It was a bachelor party, we should've told you," I admitted.

"No shit. Come on, we need to meet everyone in the garage. I've already been by the batcave today to set everything up. Inez is there now with the caterer," she said as she grabbed her purse.

Everyone was down there except for Alex and Lester. I noted from the expressions on Elaina and Lula's faces that they also knew about the strippers and weren't pleased.

All the guys were down and they all were avoiding the girls. Alex and Lester walked out of the elevator hand in hand beaming at each other. _How the hell did Lester get away with this?_

Alex had on a long dark green dress with a gray sweater covering her arms. Her hair was down and curled and she had on gold jewelry. She really was beautiful and glowing. I found myself reaching for Steph's hand. She snatched it back and rolled her eyes at me.

Alex surveyed the group. "I can't believe you're all here and look presentable. Impressive," she said.

"Told you, Angel. It's all good," Lester reassured his wife.

Alex's eyes ran over us all again. "No. It's not. What's going on?" she asked as she glanced around at all the tense faces.

"Tank came home smelling like cheap perfume. The boys had strippers and now we're pissed and they're feeling guilty," Lula explained.

Lester closed his eyes slowly and winced.

"I know that," Alex said. "You're all idiots," she said as looked around at the guys. "You'd think you'd learn something about covering your tracks in special forces," she pointed out.

"How'd you know?" Lester mumbled.

"Because you actually came home with lip stick on your collar and on the back of your neck," she said as she folded her arms.

"Angel, I'm so sorry. Nothing happened," Lester attempted to assure Alex.

Alex held up her hand. "We're getting this over with. You all know that you should've never given us a hard time about having strippers. If you would've just let that go, we would not be in this position! Now, we're all mad over an act that we wouldn't have been mad about before! This double standard nonsense ends here and now!" she said forcefully.

We all nodded silently. No one was ballsy enough to argue with Ace right now.

She took a breath. "I've had a shitty week. I can't sleep because I'm never comfortable, I have to pee every thirty seconds, and my ankles and feet are so swollen that I have cankles and I'm wearing sandals in the winter! Not to mention the maternity dress I bought for today is too small. I only bought it a month ago! I can't even stand up after going down on my husband!" she shrieked. "Now, we're all going to this shower and we are doing it with a smile. If one of you even thinks about causing a problem, as soon as I pop this kid out, I will come for you and it won't be pretty. Is that understood?" she shouted.

We all were frozen in fear for a moment before nodding.

"Good. And you all need to tell me how pretty I am today because I feel like a beached whale," she said.

"You look gorgeous Alex," Tank said carefully.

"Yeah, really beautiful," Bobby added.

"I'd still hit it," offered Vince. Lester shot Vince a deadly look, but was smart enough to stay silent.

Alex smiled. "Thank you," she said. "Lester, take my purse. We have a shower to get too," she ordered.

"Yes ma'am," Lester said as he slung his wife's purse over his shoulder and escorted her to the car.

I think we all let out the breaths we were collectively holding.

"Damn, she's scary when she's pissed," Lula said.

Steph reached over and took my hand and squeezed it. "Does this mean we're all off the hook?" I asked.

"At least for now. I'm not pissing off the hormonal woman with the license to kill," Steph muttered.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N - JE owns everything you recognize. **

**Sorry for the delay both my amazing beta (VaBabe) and I have been ill! She's on her way to recovery but I'm getting worse, yay holidays! I promise this story will be finished I'm currently in the middle of chapter 25. I hope you enjoy this chapter and it was worth the wait!**

Chapter 24

Steph's POV

I gave Ranger's hand a squeeze to let him know that I wasn't going to continue the argument…at least not right now. I really didn't want to ruin this for Alex; she was so excited and none of us really say it, but this might be her only child considering this one was a miracle to begin with. She deserved to have this day, even if I really, really wanted to kick Ranger right in the shin.

Seriously though, I don't give a shit about bachelor parties, strippers or lap dances. BUT it's not fair that they got all freaked at the thought of us getting lap dances and then_ promised_ that they'd play fair knowing full well that they had no intention of doing so. It was infuriating.

I swallowed my anger and took a breath. "I'm going to ride with Lula and Elaina. I'll see you guys there," I said as I headed towards Lula's car.

I think I heard Bobby let out a groan as we walked away from the guys.

We were all quiet on the ride over to the Batcave. Once we parked I turned and looked at Lula and Elaina. "Listen, the guys were assholes, but this is Alex's day. We're all going to have to suck it up. We can rip them apart later," I said.

Both Lula and Elaina nodded their agreement as we exited the car. I took a deep breath and plastered on a smile as I ushered Elaina and Lula into the house. Lester's mom, Inez, was there to greet us.

"Hi Inez! How did everything go with the caterers?" I asked.

"Perfect! Everything is all set up and the lady of the hour is now sitting down and sipping tea while everyone fawns over her," Inez said with a smile as she hugged me.

I had spent about two hours decorating last night. It was originally going to be very girly but once I heard the guys were coming I switched it to an army theme…with lots of pink bows and ballet slippers.

I walked in to find Alex propped up in the large, plush chair in the living room. "Stephanie!" she called to me. "This is all too much! I love it!" Alex exclaimed as she attempted to get up.

"Please Alex," I begged. "Don't get up! I was happy to do it," I explained. And I was. She was glowing with happiness as everyone catered to her. Her hand barely left her stomach; it was like she was really sharing this moment with her daughter.

We had all the women in Lester's family and all the guys from RangeMan and their women. It was close to sixty people. I'd designed the catering menu around Alex's food cravings: Thai food and lots of pineapples and strawberries. She was beaming and talking to Vera as Lester brought her a plate of food.

It was strange watching them. I felt the iciness around my heart melt a little more as my anger dissipated. Lester Santos handed his wife her plate and then sat on the arm of the chair so he could place a kiss on her head and throw his arm around her shoulder. It was nothing particular he did or said; it was the way he looked at her. I was slowly turning into a big pile of melty, emotional goo as I watched Alex and Les. I felt my tears sting my eyes. _It's gotta be my period…right?_

Ranger somehow magically appeared at my side, handing me a mimosa. "Babe?" he said softly as he noticed the emotions leaking out of me. I reflexively leaned into him and felt his arm go around me while I swigging my mimosa. "Aw, hell," I muttered as I leaned up and kissed his cheek.

He'd been so amazing lately that the thought of having a baby and being a real family together with him was becoming more and more realistic to me. I love him so much…even when I want to throttle him, I love him. I guess this is what defines real commitment. There are going to be times when you don't necessarily _like_ your significant other but you know that you still love them.

I was just beginning to relax when I noticed several ridiculously good looking (I mean borderline pretty) men that I didn't know scattered throughout the party. I glanced over at Lula quizzically who looked at me with a horrified and then guilty expression.

She mouthed "Oh shit," to me and I knew this party was about to take a turn. I excused myself and rushed over to Lula.

"What the hell did you do?" I hissed.

Lula went slightly pale. "I was really pissed when I smelled that cheap ass perfume on Tank and realized they had strippers. So while he was in the shower I called my friend who owned that male strip club and asked him for a favor. He thought a baby shower was a great idea and if this went well he could start expanding past bachelorette parties," she stammered.

"Are you out of your mind! Inez and Maria are here," I whispered loudly as I gestured to Lester and Carlos's mothers.

"I know! I called Inez and she thought it was a great idea! She couldn't believe that Alex has never had a lap dance," Lula explained.

_Jesus…wasn't expecting that one. _

"What about Alex saying she didn't want any drama?" I demanded.

"I know! I meant to call Romeo and cancel but I completely forgot! I don't know how! Be honest, how bad is it?" she asked in a panic.

"Ranger literally just started letting us invite people to the house and now it's going to be overrun by male strippers. I think I'll be waking up in a crate in the desert somewhere!" I exclaimed. "It was nice knowing you," I muttered.

"I can't let Alex's shower be ruined," Lula said. "Let's just go up to them individually and tell them that their services are no longer required and tell them to feel free to stay and watch the new mom open presents or they can go if they have somewhere else they'd rather be," suggested Lula.

"Right. Right, this is fixable," I agreed.

Just then the light flicked off and music began pouring through the sound system_. How the hell did they do that? _

I turned wide-eyed to Lula. "FUCK! We're too late," I said.

"Okay, new plan. Find the guys! Make sure they don't lose it!" she exclaimed as she took off towards Tank.

I cringed when I saw one of the guys strut up to Alex and begin slowly unbuttoning his shirt to the music. Alex threw her head back and let out a cackle as Inez handed her some ones.

I turned to look at Lester who was just getting a drink from the bar. His face contorted in fury as he put down his scotch and started to head towards his wife.

I stepped directly in front of him and put my hands on his chest. "Don't even think about it!" I said quietly.

"Beautiful, you know I love you but there is someone stripping for my wife. He needs to go," he growled.

"Sorry, Les. Not going to happen. Reign in the testosterone for a second and look at Alex's face. She's just having some fun. This is not a big deal. You know how important this day is to her, are you really going to ruin it?" I asked him.

Lester face fell as he looked at his wife. She was laughing and trying to explain to the stripper that she couldn't really get a lap dance because she didn't have much a lap. The stripper bent down and kissed her hand when she slipped a dollar is his pocket.

Lester let out a groan and ran his hand through his dark hair in frustration. "This isn't fair! We didn't make you watch!" he exclaimed.

I folded my arms and stuck out my chin. "And I'm sure they all at least kept their g-strings on like these guys are," I said as I gestured to one of the male strippers who was down to his very, very small underwear giving Ranger's sister a lap dance as she slipped him money.

Lester's face tensed but I know for a fact that their strippers got naked or he would've argued with me.

"She's not even getting a lap dance! He's just rubbing her back!" I pointed out now that the stripper had moved behind Alex and was now massaging her back.

"Just a little lower. Oh! Right there," Alex sighed as the stripper apparently found the spot.

"No, she's not. But now my mother is!" he hissed as he pointed to Inez who was being straddled by a stripper. She didn't seem to mind.

"This is just a little fun! This is for Alex. You always said you'd do anything for her. Prove it!" I said.

Okay, that was a low blow, but I was getting desperate.

Lester let out a breath. "I'm in hell, you know that? This is my hell! Watching my wife and my mother get felt up. You owe me for this!" he growled as he stormed back to the bar most likely to order a double.

_Crisis one down_. I turned around and Ranger was looking at me with his mouth set in a straight line and one eyebrow raised. I cringed. _This isn't going to be pleasant._ I made my way slowly to him.

"Are you testing me? Is that what this is?" he asked.

"No! No, Carlos I had no idea. Lula got pissed and called them and didn't tell me until they were already here. I'm so sorry but please just keep calm and don't kick everyone out. This is for Alex and she's having a really good time," I begged.

"My mother got a lap dance," he stated.

"So did your sister and your aunt," I sighed.

Carlos's eyes slowly closed as his mouth tightened.

"Relax they're all gay," I reassured him

"That true?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I mean statistically speaking, at least one of them has to be. Just tell yourself it's the one that was grinding on your mom," I suggested.

The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "Only you could manage to throw a simple baby shower and turn it into a camo/ballerina/Thai food/stripper party," he said with a head shake.

"Tell me about it," I grumbled. "Thank you for being so cool about this. I promise, I will make it up to you," I promised.

He dropped a kiss on my head. "I thought I was too hung over for a drink but I may need one," he said as he walked to the bar where Lester was mainlining scotch.

_Crisis two down. _

Lula was talking to Tank, Erik and Jeanne Ellen. Tank lips were pursed, Erik's mouth was hanging open and Jeanne Ellen just seemed amused. She was clearly enjoying this.

I glanced around at the other guys from RangeMan. The looks ranged from horrified to quizzical. "Why don't you guys go hang out with Lester and Ranger at the bar?" I suggested. "The… umm… entertainment will be over soon," I explained.

The guys didn't say much as they headed over to the bar. I glanced around and saw Bobby leaning up against the wall with his eyes glued to Elaina as she sipped a mimosa and talked to Liz, Lester's sister-in-law.

One of the male strippers came up behind her and picked her up. She let out a shriek of surprise. Bobby's eyes were blazing as he made his way toward her. I grabbed him on the arm to stop him. "Nope. Elaina can handle herself," I said.

"He shouldn't be touching her," he said.

"BOBBY. Do you ever want to get out of the dog house? Seriously? Wouldn't it be nice to be engaged to a woman who wasn't pissed at you? Just for a little while? I asked.

He stopped. "Shit," he said as he turned around to look back at Elaina who had instructed the stripper to put her down and was not making pleasant conversation with him.

"I never realized you had such a temper," I commented.

"I don't really. It's just the thought of her being with someone else, the thought of losing her makes me lose control. And ironically enough, it's this behavior which is driving her further away," he sighed.

"Get a drink, try to relax. I think the entertainment is wrapping up," I suggested.

Bobby glanced one more time wistfully at Elaina and then headed over to the guys. Lester clapped him on the back and handed him a scotch. _Misery loves company._

The strippers were wrapping up and Lula and I went around and thanked them kindly and invited them to stay for cake. To my surprise they all wanted to say and I showed them to the bathroom on the other side of the house so they could get changed and put on some real underwear (I'm assuming that's what they did).

I grabbed Lester and sat him next to Alex. Lester had a slight buzz on and seemed to be in a better mood as he grabbed his wife's face and planted a large kiss on her lips before taking his seat.

Lula came out with the cake. It was shaped like a little girl dressed in a ballerina outfit. I called in for some last minute changes. They also added a camo bandanna and then strapped a knife to her leg. When Lester and Alex saw the cake they both burst out laughing.

"It's perfect!" Alex exclaimed as her eyes got watery.

"I love it! Thank you guys. This means the world to me…us," Lester said as he grabbed Alex's hand.

Lester did the honors cutting the cake and then I passed out pieces to his family, the guys and the strippers.

Then we all watched them open presents. The best one was the teddy bear from Tank and Lula; it was dressed as a ninja with a light pink tutu over the ninja outfit. Lester cracked up and Alex hugged it close. "I'm starting to detect a theme," Lester said with a grin.

"Don't look at me the outfit was all Tank's idea," Lula said.

Tank shrugged. "It's just how I picture Ana," he said.

"Thank you," Alex smiled.

I glanced around at the people surrounding us. I can't believe we pulled this off. This event had "disaster" written all over it but it all worked out. A camo/ballet/Thai themed baby shower attended by a large Latin family, a bunch of deadly mercenaries and a handful of male strippers. You can't make this shit up.

_On that note, I need a drink. _

Erik's POV

This weekend was …interesting. I wasn't sure whether or not the term "shit show" would be appropriate but it definitely had the potential for being exactly that. Bobby's bachelor party was awesome. Tons of booze, gambling and strippers, it was perfect. I didn't realize that it would cause a bunch of drama. It was pretty standard as bachelor parties go.

I also didn't know that the partners promised their women there would be no strippers. I told Jeanne I was going to a bachelor party and she never questioned it. Therefore when I got back and showered and changed for Alex's baby shower she didn't seem the least bit concerned.

It wasn't till we got to the shower that I realized that guys were in serious trouble. According to Stephanie, everyone was sucking it up not to ruin the shower. The guys were all on their best behavior, doting on their women. Lester was making sure Alex had food and was comfortable. Bobby immediately got Elaina a drink and placed his arm around her. Tank was helping Lula organize the gifts and Ranger was actually helping Stephanie play host.

Then the male dancers happened. I've never seen anything like it! Lula immediately came running over and calmed Tank down, reminded him that Alex would beat his ass if he caused a scene. Tank just looked around the room and shook his head. This was a goddamn train wreck! I watched Stephanie dart around the room diffusing one situation after another. She eventually got all the guys to the bar so the women could finish enjoying the "entertainment."

I watched Jeanne Ellen get a lap dance out of the corner of my eye and I didn't like it one bit. But even though I'm new at this relationship, I knew better than to call her out considering I had a very naked woman on my lap less then twenty-four hours ago. Plus, I like having sex with my girlfriend and I wanted to get some when we got home. I might not know much, but I know angry women don't put out.

Bobby and Les took some shots to take the edge off. Ranger seemed strangely resigned. I guess when you date a woman like Stephanie you get used to weird-ass shit happening. Somehow the shower continued without incident. The strippers even stayed for cake and presents. I've never been to a baby shower before, but this couldn't be normal.

It was now Monday and I was with Elaina and Shover. We were about to sit down with the judge. This would be the first time I've seen my ex in years. I was nervous. Jeanne Ellen wanted to know if I wanted her to come but I didn't want her involved just yet, although I really appreciated the offer.

Stephanie, Lula and Alex gave recorded depositions that the judge reviewed. I wasn't present so I had no idea how they went. I was sweating bullets. Elaina and Shover both appeared calm and collected.

My ex, Melanie, suddenly appeared with her attorney. She looked so different. Her light brown hair was died a platinum blonde, her skin was way too tan, bordering orange. Her once soft curves were whittled down, but her chest was much, much fuller. It was obvious to me that she had both her breasts and her nose done. Not to mention there wasn't a line or wrinkle in sight on her overly smooth face. Her clothes were expensive and her heels were impossible high.

This wasn't the same woman who preferred jeans and t-shirts and whose idea of a good meal was a six-pack of her favorite beer and Chinese take-out. This wasn't Mel Everson who I married. This was Melanie Upton, Derek Upton's wife.

She glanced at her expensive watch and tapped her foot in her expensive heels.

The door opened and we were all ushered into the mediation room. Elaina, Shover and I took seats on the rights side of the table while Melanie and her lawyer sat down on the left. The judge came in.

"Good morning," he greeted as he took his seat and opened the file. "I've reviewed all the information given to me and I'm prepared to make a decision. Is there any other evidence that I need to be aware of?" he asked.

"No, your Honor," Shover answered.

"No, your Honor," Melanie's lawyer confirmed.

"All right. This is an unusual case and it's always about what's best for the child. I believe it's best for Cody to get to know his real father. But I also agree that joint custody at this time would be hard for the boy and we should begin a more gradual process of weekly visits that will increase by a day every month until we have joint custody. The first month there will be monitored visits once a week. Mr. Tanner, Mrs. Upton has accused you of being a misogynist. I have a statement from an old employer of yours. I've seen the depositions from your character witnesses, as well as a statement from your new employer and your therapist. I'm prepared to give you a chance, but if the monitor does not believe you're fit to see your son alone after a month of monitored visits then we'll continue the monitored visits until Social Services sees fit. Any questions?" he asked.

_I'm going to see my son. _I wanted to jump up and hug the man but I restrained myself.

"No, your Honor," I answered.

"Mrs. Upton wants to discuss child support," Melanie's lawyer chimed in. Melanie's arms were folded and she was glaring at me.

"Mr. Tanner is prepared to pay as well as pay any back child support. We have his W2s from the past few years. Mr. Tanner has also proposed that since Cody has been taken such good care of financially that the money from his back support go towards a college fund," Shover said.

That was Elaina's idea and I thought it was brilliant.

Mel's lawyer whispered in her ear and she let out an annoyed breath then nodded. "Agreed. Since it's already December and the holidays are coming up Mrs. Upton would like to start these visits after the New Year. The Upton family already has plans and nonrefundable plane tickets," her lawyer stated.

This annoyed me, but I didn't want to come across as unreasonable to the judge. I glanced at Shover who gave me a nod. I nodded my assent.

"Fine. Starting the first week of January forward Mr. Tanner will have every Sunday with Cody Upton. Monitored until further notice, any objections?" the judge asked.

There was an echo of "No, your Honor."

"Dismissed," the judge said as he banged his gavel.

I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding. I couldn't wait to call Jeanne and tell her the good news. We walked out of the courtroom and I stopped Melanie. "I promise you, I will take good care of our son," I said seriously.

"He's not your son; you're just a sperm donor," she hissed. "And if I so much as find one scratch on him, I will make sure you never see him again!" she declared.

I was about to say something nasty back but Elaina touched my arm and shot me a warning look. I swallowed my anger and let her lead me out of the building.

"Do yourself a favor, don't engage her unless it's about Cody and don't say anything negative what so ever about her or Derek Upton in front of him," she said as she climbed into the car.

"Is that parenting advice or legal advice?" I asked.

"Both," she said as she turned the car on and began driving me home.

Ranger's POV

The two new assistants we've hired have been working out even better then I could've imagined. Kenny Reynolds was working for Tank and I. He had a great background in accounting and HR. He was a small man with thick glasses and a sharp wit. He flew through payroll and helped set up a new accounting system. Tank was so happy I thought he was going to hug the guy.

Yvonne Martineau was studying to be a nurse and was already a trained medic. Bobby was technically a registered nurse practitioner even though he still went by medic. One of the new guys dared call him a nurse when he passed his exams several years ago. Bobby just turned, grinned and told him to meet him on the mats. Bobby is also the best man I had at hand to hand combat. He took that fucker down hard and easily so many times that no one dared try it again.

Yvonne is almost six feet tall and originally from Barbados. She has dark eyes and a bewitching smile. Her hair is long and she keeps it in braids. Hal almost fell out of his chair when she walked by. He spent the next few days attempting to flirt which was painful to watch. Elaina caught him leaning over Yvonne in the break room and when Yvonne left Elaina told him to back off. Yvonne has been in a serious relationship for three years, with a woman.

Hal was crushed until Elaina sighed and said that Yvonne was actually a twin. Her sister, Yvette, was straight and very single. She works as an X-ray tech at the hospital. Elaina knew Yvette for several years after working in St. Francis with a number of patients. Yvette actually gave Elaina Yvonne's resume and suggested her for the job.

Hal and Yvette are supposed to get coffee next week.

Between Yvonne and Kenny we were all spending less and less time on paperwork. It was amazing the difference. Lester was thrilled and was now thinking about taking more time off once Ana was born. Originally, he thought it would just be a few days and then he would come back to the office but still be off field work. Once he realized how much work Yvonne was able to handle he's now thinking about taking two full weeks off and then taking off field work for the next month so he could be here if Alex and Ana needed anything.

I was now headed to seven for the unveiling of my old office…or should I say guest room. Stephanie convinced me that we need a place for Julie or my Abuela on seven. She said it's sad that when Julie comes to visit she either stays with my mother or one of my siblings while we just visit. She has a room at the batcave but she usually only stays there a night or two on the weekends when she visits. Stephanie thought this way she could stay with us the full two weeks but still be able to see the other family members while we were working.

Julie is coming up in a few days to stay. She goes to a private school and gets three weeks off for Christmas. When she heard that Tio Lester and Tia Alex's baby was due over her break she insisted on being here. I was thrilled and Rachel, being the amazing woman that she is, was willing to work it out.

The elevator dinged onto seven. I walked out and opened the apartment door. Stephanie was waiting for me. "You ready for this, Batman?" she asked, looking slightly nervous.

I gave her a nod.

She sighed at my lack of verbal response and grabbed my hand to lead me to my old office. She opened the door and I stepped inside. The construction workers had knocked out the wall and expanded quite a bit into the storage space. The décor matched the rest of my apartment. It was minimalist and modern with dark colors and dark wood. It had a full bed with a deep green bed spread. There was a large bureau in the corner and to my surprise a desk containing my laptop, with a dark wood filing cabinet underneath.

I looked at the desk and turned to Stephanie. "Babe?" I asked.

"You didn't want to give up your office, so I compromised. This will be a guest bedroom when we have guests but otherwise, it's still your office," she explained.

I felt myself smile. She never told me she was doing this. I assumed it would just be a guest bedroom, and I was willing to do it to prove I was ready to change. I loved that she surprised me like this. She wants me to change, but she doesn't expect too much.

I was overcome with my love for her and I grabbed her close and kissed her. Her arms went around my neck and we stumbled to the new bed. She was pinned beneath me and I was ready to christen our new room when Stephanie began talking as I kissed her neck.

"You realize we're lying on the bed that we specifically bought so we could have your daughter and grandmother stay here," she said.

I let out a groan into her neck.

"What? Doesn't it seem weird?" she asked.

"It didn't until my thoughts of going down on you and hearing you scream my name were interrupted by the mention of my daughter and grandmother. Christ, I don't think Viagara could help me get it up at this point," I said as I rolled away from her.

Stephanie let out a giggle. "Sorry! I'm so happy you like the room. Wanna have sex on your new desk instead?" she asked.

"Now, you're talking," I said as I grabbed her and wrapped her legs around my waist to transport her.

_Maybe I don't need Viagra after all. _


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N - JE owns everything you recognize.**

**Special thanks to my beta VaBabe. This story couldn't be done without you. I sincerely apologize for the delay. I got really ill after Christmas and am still recovering, I spend most of my free time in bed. Getting a little better every day but I'm still working slowly on this story. Thanks to everyone for sticking with me! I promise a completed story!**

Chapter 25

Steph's POV

Carlos and I were at the airport to pick up Julie. I was really excited to see her; it's been nine months since she last visited us. She usually stays with us over the summer, as well, but Rachel and Ron took her on a European cruise and Carlos and I didn't want her to miss out. This is one of the reasons she's going to be spending her entire Christmas vacation with us. Carlos is over the moon about this even though he's trying to be cool about it.

My phone buzzed; it was a text from Rachel. It read: "Tell Carlos not to blame me for the way she's dressed. It was 45-minute argument and it got to the point that she was going to miss her plane. I at least got her to wear the blazer."

_Uh oh. _ "What was that about? You have a worried look," Carlos commented casually as he ran his thumb across my palm.

"We'll talk later; it looks like Julie's plane has arrived," I said quickly. I silently prayed that Julie didn't come off the plane in a bikini, but on the other hand how bad could it be? The girl was fourteen with narrow hips and a completely flat chest. She still looked twelve. Don't get me wrong, Julie will be STUNNING. She is genetically blessed by Carlos and Rachel. But right now she's a little bit of a late bloomer and what girl doesn't experiment with clothes at her age?

Carlos and I were searching for Julie amongst the passengers emptying out of the plane. I was finally able to spot her once she removed the sun glasses. _Holy shit._ A lot has changed in nine months. Our little Julie has clearly grown up. She was no longer a 4' 11'' tiny, flat-chested, little munchkin. She was about 5'4'' dressed in skin tight red pants, four-inch black strappy heels making her taller than my 5'7'', a white t-shirt which was knotted at her back. The shirt was pulled tightly against her body and showing off a black bra and her almost C-cups. The blazer Rachel was talking about was thrown over her arm.

"Ranger! Stephanie!" Julie called out with a wave. _Definitely not getting into this now. _Carlos's eyebrow raised ever so slightly as he took in Julie's outfit but he quickly recovered.

"How are you corazoncito?" Carlos said as he hugged Julie and dropped kiss on her head.

"Fine! Mom was being a major bitch this morning and I almost missed my plane but I'm over it," she said.

"Don't talk that way about your mother," Carlos warned. "Let's go get your bag and you can call her to tell her you arrived safe and apologize for whatever attitude you gave her this morning," Carlos continued calmly.

"Can't you just call her?" Julie groaned.

"No," he answered evenly.

I decided to stay out of this one. This was a father/daughter conversation and ….step-girlfriend(?) didn't need to get involved.

Carlos and I went to the baggage carousel to wait for Julie's bag while Julie went to call her mother.

"What the hell is she wearing?" Carlos muttered.

I handed him my cell, showing him the text from Rachel. Carlos let out a rare sigh as he read the text. "Take her shopping and buy her a hundred turtle neck sweaters tomorrow," he said.

"I'll take her shopping, but I can't promise turtlenecks. I will promise that it will be appropriate but Julie is growing up. It's natural for teenage girls to experiment with their looks. You can't expect her to dress in soccer shorts and t-shirts for the rest of her life," I pointed out.

"Not the rest of her life, just till she's twenty-five and she gets married," he explained as he grabbed Julie's bag.

Julie came walking toward us still on her cell. "Fine. I love you, too. Mom! You can't really expect me to call every day! Fine, I will call every other day. Yes! I love you, too. I will call in two days, I promise," Julie continued as she rolled her eyes.

I suppressed a small smile_. Our little Julie has become a full fledged teenager, attitude, body and all. Poor Carlos isn't going to know what to do with himself once the boys start coming around._

Tank's POV

I opened the door to the house and saw that there were scattered rose petals leading up to the bedroom. Part of me got excited…the other part was terrified.

Lula and I had hit a bit of a rough patch in our physical relationship. Maybe rough patch isn't the right phase; it was more of a dry spell. It was several weeks of nothing. Our jobs got hectic and then we'd been dealing with the bachelorette/bachelor parties and Alex's shower. Our lives have been a little crazy and we haven't exactly been making our relationship a priority. It bothered me, but at the same time I felt like it was perfectly normal. Couples have some ups and downs and we're just in a down time. I figured we'd come out of it naturally.

It bothered Lula more than me apparently because she sat me down one night and told me we needed to "spice things up." I was all for this, the images flashed through my mind were sexy as hell and I got excited. Lula told me she had some tricks up her sleeves to get ready.

Unfortunately, Lula's tricks were a little more than I bargained for. The first one came in the form of candles. Lula wanted us to drip wax on each other. I liked it; it was sexy. The problem wasn't Lula's ideas, it was the execution. The candles she bought burned too hot and she ended up burning the shit out of my chest.

I had to have Bobby look at it. I swore him to secrecy and threatened to beat the absolute shit out of him if he told anyone. Bobby would never betray my confidence but that didn't keep him from grinning like an asshole the entire time he treated me.

The second incident was this fancy massage oil. It caused this amazing tingling sensation and Lula and I were really enjoying it. It was tingling all over our bodies until all of a sudden she started itching. Then things started to swell, which led to another emergency call to Bobby.

There was another examination and more threats from me about Bobby telling anyone. Turns out Lula was allergic and she had a strong reaction in some pretty sensitive places. It took some time for her to recover from that one.

The third incident involved a too small cock ring. It was fine when we put it on and then, once I got excited the cock ring got tight…way too tight. It began cutting off my circulation. Lula began panicking and wanted to call Bobby.

I don't think I usually let my pride get in the way of resolving a crisis, but I'll be damned if I was going to call Bobby Brown to come cut a cock ring off me. We finally called Yvonne. She showed up and took a good long look at the two of us.

"Well, honestly it's nice to see a couple trying to keep things exciting," she said as she took out a scalpel. Lula grimaced and I groaned.

"Relax, I spent some time in the ER. You wouldn't believe the type of shit I've seen," she explained. "I'm going to have to touch you now. Are you okay with this?" she asked me.

"Yes, please just get this thing off my dick," I said through gritted teeth.

She gently reached down and took the scalpel and gently began cutting through the plastic cock ring. It took her all of 20 seconds and I felt relief flood my body as the blood began circulating normally in my penis.

"Thank you," I breathed in relief.

"Sure," Yvonne said as a smile was tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"I don't think I have to tell you that this is a very sensitive matter and requires the utmost discretion," I said attempting to look serious and threatening after this woman just cut a plastic ring off my cock.

Yvonne raised her hands. "I would never reveal your secrets and I meant what I said: it's kinda sexy that you guys are experimenting. Next time, just take measurements and read the instructions," she said as she tossed the box for the cock ring at me.

It didn't feel sexy at all, though Lula and I appreciated the sentiment.

Now, knowing all this, you can see why I was slightly concerned about the rose petals. I placed my keys into the bowl and took off my jacket. I slowly made my way up and heard a peculiar creaking sound coming from the bedroom. _What the fuck?_

I hesitantly opened the door and found Lula in some sexy black lingerie _swinging_ above our bed. _OH. MY. GOD._ She had actually installed a sex swing.

"I've been waiting for you," she purred.

"I can see that," I said as I kicked off my shoes and then removed my shirt. "Damn, you look good in that thing," I admitted as I drank in her image.

"I've been having some fun but I'm ready for a little more, if you are," she said in her teasing voice.

"I'm definitely in need of some fun," I said as I walked over to her and took her face in my hands and kissed her soft lips. Lula pushed her tongue into my mouth and wrapped her arms and legs around me.

"I did good with this one," she said as she broke the kiss.

"Very good," I whispered huskily.

Lula reached down and unbuckled my pants pulling them down with my boxers. "Come on, Tiger, lets swing!" she said.

And we did. It was going so well, I was close to coming and I could tell Lula was close when the normal creaking from the swing grew louder. I looked up just in time to see the pin that holds the swing into the ceiling rip out. Then Lula began to fall.

"Pierre!" she cried out. I threw myself to the side in time to catch her before she cracked her head on the night stand. I was able to secure her head under my hand but between the weight of Lula and the way I twisted I felt a sharp pain in my back as we tumbled to the floor. I let out a grunt as I made sure Lula was okay.

"Oh my god Tank! I can't believe you caught me! That was amazing!" Lula gushed from where she was pinned underneath me.

"Lula," I moaned.

"Tank? What's wrong?" she asked as her eyes widened in concern.

"My back," I panted.

"Oh shit!" she said as she scrambled from underneath me. "Can you get up?" she asked as she gently took my arm.

"Can't," I managed to get out.

"I'll call Bobby!" she said as she ran to grab her cell phone. _Fucking perfect._

"Lula, at least get me pants," I sighed as I realized I was in for another blow to my ego.

Lester's POV

It happened. The phone call I've been waiting for finally happened. _Thank god._ Alex, called and told me that she was "leaking." Bobby was with me and told her to have one of the guys take her to the hospital and we'd meet her there.

My daughter was finally ready for us to meet her! It's two days past Alex's original due date and she's been flat out miserable the last two weeks. She tried to explain that she was just "over being pregnant." We were actually scheduled to be induced next week if Ana decided she was going to be stubborn.

Bobby rushed us to the hospital and I flew in and found Alex's room. Alex was lying in the bed with Tanner posted next to her. Tanner has been alright, but I have to admit I felt a twinge of jealousy seeing him hold Alex's hand as she was tried to breathe through a contraction.

"Angel!" I said.

"Les! Oh, thank god you're here!" Alex said as she reached for me. I rushed to her side and wrapped my arms around her.

"Good to see you, Santos. She wouldn't let me leave until you showed up and no offense, but I want no part of this," Tanner joked as he shook my hand.

"Thanks for staying with me, Erik," Alex said.

"No problem, Killer. Husband's here, so that's my cue. I'm looking forward to meeting our new RangeMan addition," he said as he kissed Alex's forehead.

"Bobby's in the waiting room calling the rest of the guys," I told Alex.

"My water completely broke in Erik's car," she grimaced.

I laughed. "Better his then mine!" I said. She shot me a dirty look. I kissed her quickly in apology. Apparently my dazzling sense of humor was lost on my wife just then.

"You just missed the doctor; I'm dilated to 2 cm. I requested an epidural so she's getting the anesthesiologist to come talk to me," she said.

"Are the contractions that bad?" I asked as I took her hand.

"Yes, Lester! And they're getting closer and closer together!" she exclaimed giving me a look.

"Angel, I just thought we talked about you doing this naturally," I said slowly.

"No, you talked _at_ me about me doing it naturally," she pointed out.

"Alex, you're a professional spy, you've been trained to handle pain," I pointed out gently.

Alex let out a grunt and clutched her belly as she breathed through another contraction. "See, Baby? You got this. You don't need any drugs," I said softly as I held her hand and stroked her hair.

Instead of being soothed by my encouraging words Alex's eyes flashed with anger. She gripped my hand and used a maneuver to bring me to my knees as she held my wrist bent at an odd angle.

"Lester, this is my body. I can't explain how badly contractions hurt so I will make you a deal. If you don't want me to have the drugs then you will also feel pain. The next contraction I have, I will break your pinky and then the next, it will be your ring finger and I will keep going. Do you understand me?" she hissed.

I've never been scared of my wife. I've always known Alex had the ability to kill me if she wanted to but I know she would never hurt me. At this moment, however, I wasn't going to test her love for me. "I'll go see what's taking the anesthesiologist so long," I said. Alex released my hand and I scrambled out of the room.

I found the anesthesiologist talking to the doctor at the nurse's station. "I'm Lester Santos, Alexis Santos's husband. She wants an epidural," I explained.

"Mr. Santos, I'm Dr. Khalan. I was just on my way to see your wife. How's she doing?" the tall Arabic man asked me.

"She threatened to break a bone for every contraction she has," I admitted.

Dr. Khalan let out a laugh and clapped me on the back. "That's nothing. My last patient was giving birth to her fifth child and told her husband she would 'cut it off with a rusty knife' if he tried to come anywhere near her again," he said. "It's the pain and the hormones; she'll feel better soon," he reassured me.

_I hope he's right._

Dr. Harris was in the room when Dr. Khalan and I walked in. Khalan went over the epidural stuff with Alex and me and then brought out what had to be the largest needle I've ever seen. "Ready, Mrs. Santos?" Khalan asked.

"Yes," Alex said as she held her breath. I couldn't watch.

Once the doctors left I turned back to her. "Better, Angel?" I asked.

"Mmmmm much," she sighed.

"You weren't really going to break my fingers, were you?" I asked.

"I don't think I would've gone through with it," she said.

"You don't_ think_?" I reiterated.

"Lester, during those contractions you lose all sense. I can't promise you anything at this point," she laughed.

That didn't make me feel any better. I had a feeling we're going to be in for a long night.

Twelve hours later at 1:17a.m. Ana Kami Santos was born at seven pounds, four ounces and 23 inches long. She's tall just like her dad.

I've never seen anything like it. It was beautiful and scary. I was so nervous when I saw the blood but when I first heard Ana crying I felt relief flood me and tears began running down my face as I kissed Alex. She was incredible and despite the fact that she spent the last few hours cussing me out and telling me that she'd never have sex with me again, I was incredibly proud of her.

My parents came in and met their newest granddaughter, followed by Bobby and Elaina. We had sent everyone else home around ten. Bobby, being my best friend, stayed and my parents refused to leave. As glad as I was to have them here, I was happy when they left and the only people in the room were Alex, Ana and me.

Alex and I were fascinated by Ana from her little hands and her tiny feet, to the look in her eyes when she had them open. We both would just stare at her in amazement.

"I can't believe we made this," Alex whispered while holding a swaddled Ana.

"It's incredible," I agreed.

"I can't believe we're now responsible for her," she said.

"I think this might be the hardest mission we've ever undertaken," I said.

"And the most important," Alex said as she leaned against me.

We both looked down at our sleeping daughter. I've never felt love like I did for the two people in that room. Its official: _Lester Santos has a family and couldn't be happier or more terrified_.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N - JE owns everything you recognize. **

**Special thanks to my beta VaBabe for being an amazing beta. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers for sticking with me. I'm starting to feel back to normal so I'll hopefully be posting more. I apologize for the infrequent posts.**

Chapter 26

Bobby's POV

_I have a bad feeling about this. _

Ranger, Lester, Tank, Stephanie, Alex and I were sitting around the conference room table waiting for Elaina.

Three days ago, we had a meeting about setting up a distraction to pick-up Levi Jonas. Jonas had a rap sheet longer then my arm and was wanted for murder. He was a high-end skip and he would be a serious pay day for RangeMan. Stephanie did an extensive search on him and discovered that he had very particular taste in women. He preferred small, blue-eyed, blondes with an edgy style and attitude.

That's when Ranger suggested we use Elaina. I immediately rejected that. I didn't want her anywhere near a guy like Jonas. Tank pointed out how much money Jonas was worth to us (Christmas bonuses for the entire Trenton branch type money). Stephanie and Alex said they've been working with Elaina on self-defense and that she's doing really well.

Lester pointed out that Elaina will flip her shit if we ask her. I agreed.

We decided to take a vote and it was four to two that we at least approach her about helping us. I know my woman, she respects what we do but she has no interest in helping us do it. Alex and Stephanie were also invited to the meeting so they could help gage her reaction. Stephanie kept reassuring me that she would be in on the distraction and would never let Elaina go in alone. I still didn't like it, but I promised to remain neutral and let her make her own decision.

Elaina walked into the conference room and surveyed the scene and sighed. "What do you need?" she asked as she folded her arms.

"Elaina, why don't you have a seat?" suggested Tank.

"It's serious, I take it," Elaina responded.

I jumped up and pulled Elaina out a chair. She shot me a small, crooked smile. It's a smile that I've never seen her use with anyone else but me.

"So, once again, what do you need?" she asked looking directly at Ranger with raised eyebrows.

"Elaina, we have a high end skip that we need your help with," Ranger explained.

Elaina snorted. "You want me to help you catch a high end skip? What would you like me to do? Sneak up behind him and get down on the ground so Bobby can push him over me?" she asked.

"We were thinking more of a distraction job," Tank explained.

"You have Stephanie, you don't need me," Elaina said.

"Our skip has a very particular type. You fit that type," Ranger explained.

"Why would I agree to this? What's in it for me?" Elaina asked.

"You would get a large portion of the fee," Ranger said.

"Haven't you heard? I'm marrying a millionaire, I don't need money," Elaina countered with a smile.

Alex and Stephanie remained quiet but I could see that Stephanie was trying not to smile at the hard time Elaina was giving us. Lester just leaned back and rubbed his eyes. He knew she would be difficult. Ranger and Tank had their blank faces on but I could feel their frustration.

I studied Elaina carefully. I think she's setting us up. She wants something, I know it. She's trying to establish herself in a position of power for negotiating purposes. She doesn't need us, we need her. She wants leverage. I kept my blank face on but felt a knot forming in my stomach. _What the hell is she up to?_

"Let me see the file on this guy," Elaina said breaking the silence. Lester slid the file across the table. She flipped through and her eyebrows flew up. "He's wanted for murder? And you think I can handle a guy like this?" she asked dubiously.

"I'll be going in with you; you won't be alone," Stephanie assured her.

"What would I have to do?" she asked.

"Walk into the bar, flirt with him, get him to follow your ass outta there and then we grab him," Lester explained.

"Flirt? What does that entail?" Elaina asked.

"Come on Thumbelina, we've all seen you at fundraisers. You're a master; just do that," Lester said.

I continued to remain silent as I watched my fiancé's face. She looked thoughtful. "Do you let these guys touch you?" she asked Stephanie and Alex.

There was a pregnant pause in the room.

"Yes, you have to most of the time to demonstrate that you're interested," Alex finally answered.

"How far do you let it go?" Elaina asked. "Do they kiss you, feel you up?" she asked.

This pause was a bit longer and filled with more tension.

"That's not always necessary," Ranger said.

Elaina turned to Ranger. "No offense, but I don't want to hear from you. I want to hear from Stephanie and Alex since they're the ones who actually do this," Elaina stated.

"It happens," Alex shrugged indifferently.

"You don't focus on that; you focus on getting a nasty man off the street," Stephanie explained.

"So I'm supposed to walk into a bar and throw myself at an alleged murderer, let him kiss me, touch me and basically anything else that I need to do to get him out of the bar. That's the idea?" Elaina asked.

"It won't go that far, we'll all have your back," Tank said.

"Now, let me ask you something," Elaina said turning towards me. "You freaked at my bachelorette party because I was dancing with someone else but now you want me to let someone else kiss me?" she asked.

I swallowed hard. "Baby, it's not like that. This is different," I said slowly.

"You're right, this time you're getting paid," she snapped.

She may as well have slapped me.

I practically recoiled from her verbal assault. Stephanie's mouth dropped open and went pale. Alex and Lester shot each other panicked looks and even Tank and Ranger were visibly taken aback by Elaina's words.

The room was silent for a few moments as we all tried to recover from Elaina's statement.

"I'd like some time alone with Alex and Stephanie. And if Lula is here I would like to speak to her as well," Elaina, said quietly, breaking the silence.

"She's in the break room having coffee with Tanner and Cal," Tank said.

"Do you think we should talk about this alone?" I asked her quietly.

"No," Elaina responded without looking at me. "I just want to speak to the women. I want some answers and I want them to be honest without any of you trying to sugar coat this," she explained.

I swallowed hard and nodded as Lester, Tank, Ranger and I got up to leave the room.

Tank grabbed Lula and then joined us in my office.

"Holy shit. I knew it was going to be brutal but I sure as hell didn't see that coming," Lester said.

"None of us did," agreed Ranger. "You all right?" he asked me.

"I don't know. How can she see it like that? How come Steph and Alex don't?" I asked.

"Because they love the job and see the end game," Tank explained. "Elaina's only sees what she has to do, not the good it will accomplish. I can understand how it turns her stomach," Tank said as he ran a hand over his head.

"Alex loves this shit. She practically volunteered to dye her hair blonde and slouch so she could get a crack at this guy. I had to remind her she's on maternity leave and will be for at least a few more months," Lester snorted. "She spent last night pouting on how she's missing out," he said.

"If anyone can convince Elaina, its Stephanie," Ranger said.

I nodded my agreement. I felt like shit. I didn't want her to do this and I don't want her to think about distractions that way.

We stood around silently for another twenty minutes when Stephanie poked her head in. "I think we're ready for you guys," she said.

We got up and followed her back into the conference room. The women were gathered around the table waiting for us.

"I've made my decision. I'll do it, but I have conditions," Elaina explained.

_Here is goes._ Ranger nodded for her to continue.

"Stephanie will go in with me; I want Bobby inside. I want to be a licensed BEA before I participate in this and I want RangeMan to participate in the Chase Foundation's upcoming charity event," she said firmly.  
"You can take the fee you owe me and make a donation," Elaina finished.

"Is that it?" Lester said quizzically. _Les is right, this is too easy._

"Yes, but please understand, when I say I want RangeMan to participate, I want all the guys to participate not just a few," she reiterated.

I felt my suspicion grow. I don't know why, but I had the strangest feeling that we were being set up. I glanced around at the other women's faces and they weren't giving anything away.

"Is this another half marathon? I believe all the men could handle that," Ranger said with a nod.

"Do we have an agreement?" Elaina asked without giving Ranger an answer.

Ranger, Tank, Lester and I all traded silent looks.

"Everything that you've requested seems reasonable. We agree," Tank finally answered.

"What's the charity event?" I asked wracking my brains through all the conversations Elaina and I had over the past few weeks. We've talked about so many fundraisers that were coming up after the holidays that I couldn't figure out what she was talking about.

"The date auction," Elaina explained calmly.

Lester scoffed. "I can't participate in a dating auction. I'm married!" Lester proclaimed proudly showing off his ring.

"I said it was fine," Alex called out. "It's for charity and you're not going to be doing anything wrong. You're just going to take out the lucky woman who buys you and behave like a gentleman for the evening. I have complete faith that you can handle it," Alex said with a smile.

"You're kidding me," Ranger said flatly. Ranger Manoso would never participate in something as undignified as a dating auction, single or not.

"I'm not. You will all be getting up on stage to be bid on and then you will be taking the donors out for an evening. Don't worry, we have gift cards that were donated so all you have to do for your date is show up," Elaina explained.

"But we're all taken; there are plenty of single men here that would be happy to participate," Tank said reasonably as he shot Lula a pleading look. She responded with a shrug.

"No, that's why I specifically requested all of you. You're all good looking, gainfully employed gentleman which will bring in a lot of money. Greg and his husband, Justin, are participating so you really have no excuse," Elaina pointed out.

"You're really going to make us do this?" I asked.

"Absolutely," Elaina assured me with a small wicked smile.

I just don't believe it. I know Elaina isn't the jealous type, but there was no way she was going to be okay with me taking out another woman. _Why are the other women so comfortable with this? Something isn't right._

The men all looked dubious while the women all seemed unconcerned.

_This is all just too damn easy. What the fuck is the catch?_

Alex's POV

The bed was so soft and warm, the room was pitch black and I was nestled safely against Lester who's even breathing lulled me into a deep, peacefully slumber. It was heaven.

Heaven was interrupted by a loud piercing cry. I moaned and rolled over to glance at the clock. It was 4 a.m. I sighed and rolled back over to Lester who hadn't moved.

"Lester," I said shaking him.

Nothing.

"Lester!" I said louder as I shook him harder.

Still nothing.

"LESTER!" I shouted as I practically shoved his large body over the side of the bed.

"Huh?" he said groggily.

"It's your turn," I explained.

"No Angel, you're confused. I did the midnight shift," he said as he tried to roll back over.

"And I did the 2 a.m. It's yours," I said.

"Holy shit. Is it really already 4? I feel like I just lied down," he said as he hauled himself up.

I don't know why this is so hard. Lester and I were both trained in sleep deprivation. This should be a cake walk but we've only had Ana home for a week and a half and we're both zombies. Ana is up every two hours and then it takes at least 30 minutes to feed her and get her back to sleep. I'm starting to realize why God made babies so lovable and cute, because otherwise who'd do this?

I pulled myself out of bed and threw my robe on and trudged to the bathroom. I flicked on the light and almost let out a small scream at my reflection in the mirror. There were dark circles under my eyes, my pajamas were disheveled from my fitful night of sleep and my hair was sticking out all over the place. _I'm a disaster._ I splashed some water on my face and went downstairs to find Lester.

I found him in the large chair in the living room with Sports Center blaring on the large television. He was cradling Anna in his large arms and she was making what I like to call her "happy baby" sounds as she sucked down the bottle.

I took in the scene and couldn't help but smile. Lester, even when sleep deprived, is still devastatingly handsome and the sight of him so gently holding our tiny baby made my heart melt all over again. I get butterflies when I hear him sing softly to her. It's like falling in love with him all over again.

"What?" Lester asked looking up at me.

"I just like watching you. I love the way you look holding Ana," I explained as I walked over and cuddled up on the arm of the chair resting my head on his shoulder.

"Careful, Angel. Remember the doctor said we had to wait six weeks and it hasn't even been two," Lester reminded me with a wicked grin.

I rolled my eyes. "I wasn't thinking about sex. I'd probably fall asleep half way through," I sighed.

Lester kissed my forehead. "I never thought I'd say this, but I think I'm too tired to even get it up right now," he admitted.

Lester shifted slightly and pulled me down into the chair with him. We cuddled up against each other as Ana finished eating. After a solid burp and some gentle rocking Ana fell back to sleep.

Lester slumped down and pulled me with him so my head rested more comfortably on his shoulder. Ana was sleeping comfortably on his chest and feeling warm, loved and safe I fell into a deep sleep.

That is, until 6 a.m.

Ranger's POV

Having Julie here for Christmas was amazing. My family was really excited and it was nice to see Julie and Stephanie spend time together. I took some time off so we could all spend more time together. We spent the most of our days at the bat cave and I could tell Steph was really happy at the effort I was making. We took her ice skating, we went to the movies, I made dinner most nights and we even had everyone over for Christmas Day. My mother and Stephanie's mother took over the cooking but we technically hosted.

I hate to admit it, but Stephanie was right. I was enjoying spending more time with my family and opening up our home. It was starting to really feel like a home and for the first time, I felt myself want to spend more time here during the work week.

Stephanie took Julie out shopping and to get manicures where she proceeded to tell my daughter how much I enjoyed a good pedicure. I didn't love that.

Julie came home with bags of clothing. I was happy to see that there was nothing too revealing but I did notice two tell-tale pink bags in the corner. Julie did not show me what was in the bags and once she went into the guest room to put her stuff away, I asked Stephanie about it.

"Tell me those pink bags were for you," I said as I raised an eyebrow at her.

"You want me to lie?" she asked.

I groaned and ran a hand through my hair.

"Look, she needed new bras and panties," Steph started to explain.

"Babe, please don't use the word panties when we're talking about my daughter," I begged.

"Fine. She needed new _underwear_, so I bought her some. Relax, there's no thongs and no padding, unlike her other bras," she said.

"She's wearing padded bras?" I growled.

Stephanie shrugged. "I saw them when I was curling her hair on Christmas. I figured that padding was a little much for a fourteen year old," she explained.

"You're damn right it is! What the hell is Rachel thinking? I need to call her," I said as I got up and grabbed my phone.

Rachel is a great mom. I honestly couldn't have been luckier given the situation.

Rachel and I met when we were eighteen and I was living in Miami with my abuela. I had just enlisted and she was a rebellious Catholic school girl who liked to drink and get stoned. She'd sneak out to meet me and she would initiate sex in my car. I remember her long tan legs and her habit of wearing skirts with no panties. She was wild and sexy and I thought I was madly in love after two weeks. Looking back, I realize it was madly in lust. I had experience with girls before Rachel but none were as aggressive and sexual. Rachel was also a virgin and she really liked using me to try things out. We fucked like rabbits for a month before I was sent to basic. I promised I'd write and I did, three times, but my letters went unanswered. I got over her quickly as eighteen year olds tend to do. I didn't think much more of it until after basic.

When I returned to Miami for a two week leave I found out Rachel was pregnant. She wanted nothing to do with me. I knew that I didn't want to be a dead beat dad. So I asked Rachel to marry me. I still remember that moment, she rolled her eyes and told me I looked ridiculous and to get off my knee. Now thinking about it, I've proposed to two women in my life and was rejected twice. That definitely bruises the ego. But if I got Rachel to eventually marry me, I know I could convince Stephanie.

I told my parents about the pregnancy and they in turn talked to Rachel's parents and then we all sat down together. Her mother was yelling in Spanish, mine was crying and Rachel looked at me with loathing and contempt. She didn't want to marry me but after days of this nonsense she finally relented. She was so angry that she made sure to tell me it wasn't a real marriage, that she still wanted nothing to do with me and that she didn't want her child anywhere near me.

I left for service overseas shortly after our marriage ceremony but I'd call every chance I got. If Rachel picked-up she'd simply hang up the phone. Her mother would talk to me and tell me that Rachel was taking very good care of herself and was attending college but when she'd try to get Rachel to talk to me, Rachel would take the phone from her mother and hang it up without a word.

She was extremely stubborn and increasingly angry throughout her pregnancy. But once Julie was born, her heart seemed to soften. She began regularly updating my family and even allowing them to visit Julie. She'd take my phone calls and send me pictures but it took almost a year before she actually invited me to see Julie. When I saw Rachel I couldn't believe how much she changed. She was softer and sweeter but still had her edge. She was stunning even in her college student jeans and t-shirt. She began inviting me down when I was stateside and I'd spend the weekend.

Rachel was able to graduate early, began working as a paralegal and moved out of her parents' house with Julie to a small apartment. I kept sending checks and she kept telling me it was too much and that I needed to keep some money for myself. I told her that she's my wife and that's my daughter so they deserved the money.

We began communicating more and more and I realized that my feelings for Rachel were growing. These were the real kind of feelings, not the horny teenager kind that I had for her when we first met. I was excited the first time she invited me down for an extended visit. I flew down and didn't buy a return ticket, I wanted to spend all my leave there and see if Rachel and I could actually work as a couple.

What I didn't know was that Rachel was inviting me down to meet Ron and ask for a divorce. Ron was a young, handsome lawyer who was on the partner track at the firm where Rachel worked. He told me wistfully of their first meeting. He had been pouring himself coffee when she walked into the room. He was so taken by her he became distracted watching her every move and meanwhile, over-poured his coffee and burned his hand. Rachel saw what happened and grabbing his hand, pulled him to the sink to run it under cold water. She even cleaned up his coffee for him. He asked her out right then and there and I guess the rest was history. He knew about her situation and didn't shy away. He was madly in love with Rachel and crazy about Julie.

When Rachel told me that Ron wanted to adopt Julie it was a punch in the gut. My first reaction as to say hell no, but after watching the way he interacted with her and knowing that I just signed up for another two years made me realize that Julie and Rachel deserved a real family and a real father and husband. Not just some guy who visits twice a year and sends checks.

I've thought a lot about that week over the years after our divorce. I thought about how if Rachel hadn't gotten pregnant right away maybe we would've worked out and I'd be living in Miami with Rachel and Julie and a few other kids. I figured I missed my chance at love and the family lifestyle. I throw myself mind, body and soul into my work and I was satisfied with my life. At least I thought I was, until Stephanie Plum came crashing in and turned my world upside down.

Now, I'm happy with how things turned out between me and Rachel. She found love and so did I. We're with the people we were supposed to be with and we still have our amazing daughter and a wonderful relationship. I can honestly say I love Rachel and Ron as family and I know they feel the same.

I walked into my office and dialed.

"Hello, Carlos. How's my baby?" came Rachel's voice.

"Padded bras, Rachel. Really?" I said.

"Is there a black one, a red one, and a blue one with lace?" she asked.

"Rachel! What the hell?" I exclaimed.

"They're MINE Carlos. She took them out of my dresser. She's also been taking my shoes, shirts, you name it," Rachel said.

"Maybe this is where she's getting it from. You don't need a padded bra Rachel. You should be teaching our daughter to accept her looks," I said.

"Watch it. If you want to talk to me about our daughter's underwear and wardrobe that's one thing, but don't think that we're ever going to be discussing my wardrobe and lingerie choices," Rachel warned.

I sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry. I guess it's just hard for me to accept that she's growing up," I admitted.

"I know; me too," Rachel said in a softer tone.

"If you want, I can send some of my guys down there and we can lock down and alarm your closet," I suggested.

Rachel let out a laugh, "Thanks for the offer, but I'm not quite ready to go nuclear. This is a more recent development so I was planning to have a sit down with her once she got back. Has she brought up the belly button piercing to you?" she asked.

"Tell me you're kidding," I said.

"I'm not. I told her not until she turns eighteen," Rachel said.

"Or ever," I grumbled.

"I'm hoping she'll grow out of it. They're out of style anyways," Rachel said.

We paused for a moment on the phone.

"Thanks Rachel, you're an amazing mom," I said softly.

"Yeah, bet you didn't think that would happen when you first met me," she teased.

I chuckled. "Give my best to Ron and the kids," I said.

"I will. Tell Stephanie I said hello and not to spoil Julie too much!" Rachel said.

We hung up and I felt better. Rachel seemed to be on top of it and as much as I didn't like it, I'd have to admit Julie was growing up.

But padded bras are still way too much for a goddamn fourteen year old.


	27. Chapter 27

**A/N - JE owns everything you recognize.**

**I sincerely apologize for the delay, real life is kicking my ass! Special Thank to VaBabe for all the encouragement and being an amazing beta as well as cheerleader. **

Chapter 27

Steph's POV

I felt a warm hand begin to rub my back. I sighed as I snuggled deeper into the pillows.

"Babe," Carlos's voice whispered quietly.

"Hmm?" I asked sleepily as I rolled over. To my surprise Carlos was fully dressed. "What's going on?" I asked him as I sat up in the dark room.

"I got a call. I'm going in the wind for a few days," he explained.

"What? Why? Do you really have to?" I mumbled groggily as I shook myself awake. "I know I normally don't say anything, but Julie's here," I pointed out.

"I know Babe and I'm sorry. They called for Lester, but considering Ana's only been home for a few weeks I wasn't going to let him go," Carlos explained.

I sighed. "Alex would've literally killed him. Especially if he left her to go on a mission," I agreed. "Can't Bobby do it? He's not dealing with any kids right now," I pointed out.

Carlos shifted slightly. "He's the wrong color for this job," Carlos explained quietly.

"Does that mean South America?" I asked as I tilted my head to study Carlos's features.

"Babe," he said. It was a warning. He can't talk about his missions.

I let out another sigh. "How important is this?" I asked.

"Very," he said seriously.

"Well, okay then. When will you be back?" I asked.

"Day after tomorrow, it's a short one," he said.

"Alright. I told Alex and Les we'd watch Ana for a little while tomorrow so I'll do that with Julie and then we'll go see a movie or something," I said with a nod.

"I love you. Tell Julie I'll see her on Monday," Carlos said as he kissed my forehead.

"Oh no, you don't. You're going to walk into the guest room and wake your daughter up and explain that you have to go. She'll appreciate you actually saying goodbye," I ordered.

I rarely tell Carlos what to do. Partly because it's not the way our relationship works and the other part is because there's no way I can force him to do anything he doesn't want to.

He looked at me for a moment. "You're right," he agreed.

"I love you," I said.

"I love you too," he said as he kissed me one last time.

"Don't get shot," I said as he walked out the bedroom.

"Don't go too crazy," he called over his shoulder with a hint of a smile on his lips.

I laid back and looked at the ceiling for awhile. I hate when he goes into the wind, but I just don't feel right asking him to stop. There are moments when I wished I had the balls to look my lover in the eye and tell him enough was enough. He's served his country admirably, it's our time now. But I know the real reason I won't do it is because I want it to be his choice. I want him to _want_ to retire.

I groaned and pulled myself out of bed. I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep. I've been much better about over indulging when Carlos goes away but sometimes the only thing that can make things better is ice cream and I keep an emergency supply in our freezer at all times.

I had just pulled the Phish food out of the freezer and was digging in as I sat at the island when Julie's bedroom door opened and she stepped out.

Her hair was mussed and without all the make-up and grown-up clothes she really looked her age.

"Grab a spoon," I said.

Julie grinned as she skipped over to the silverware drawer and then plopped down next to me.

"Just do me a favor, and don't mention this to your mother," I said wryly. I couldn't picture classy Rachel eating ice cream out of a container at 2am in flannel pajama bottoms and frizzy hair.

"Done!" she said with a grin as she stole the container and dug in.

After we polished off the entire container, I made Julie promise me that she'd hit the gym with me in the morning before heading to Les and Alex's.

She just giggled and skipped back into her room. I walked back into mine and collapsed on the large bed and promptly passed out.

Ice cream fixes everything.

Lester's POV

Ana has been home with us for over three weeks. Alex and I have barely left the house during this time. My mother dropped off groceries a few times but mostly we've just been having them delivered. I have a huge family and everyone has offered to help us out, but Alex keeps insisting that we need to do everything ourselves.

How's that going, you ask?

Ana apparently can only sleep while being held and rocked. Otherwise, she's pissed and will let us know it by screaming her tiny little lungs out.

There were piles of dirty dishes and laundry all over the place. Alex and I were both exhausted and could both really use a shower and a few solid hours of sleep. I don't remember the last time either of us sat down for an actual meal. I was going back to work next week and Alex will finally be cleared to go back to the gym. She's been taking long walks during the day but she's having trouble leaving Ana, even with me.

Alex was irritated at the December weather for being too cold to take Ana outside; I don't think she would've even gone for her walks if I didn't practically push her out of the house.

We needed some help and have plenty of loved ones to help us. So, I've decided to take matters into my own hands.

I invited Stephanie, Ranger and Julie over to take care of Ana for a little while. Alex is really comfortable with Stephanie and Ranger so I figured that this may be a way to break her in. She doesn't want to burden my family, but she doesn't understand it's not a burden when you're family. She's never had anyone but her mom who's been gone for ten years, so relying on people is hard for her.

It doesn't help that she spent those last ten years as a spy; not exactly the best way to restore your faith and trust in people.

Alexwas also displaying some attachment issues. She could barely stand being in another room than Ana. The woman started taking the quickest showers I've ever seen just to be able to come back and take Ana into her arms, again. It was an interesting development considering a few short months ago she was worried that she wouldn't be able to bond with Ana.

But it's becoming a problem. Alex desperately wants to go back to work but she can't leave Ana for more than an hour. So I decided Alex needed to learn to let go a little bit; we have a phenomenal support system that many people would kill to have and we're not using it. It's ridiculous.

I got a text from Ranger saying that he was going to be gone for a few days but to expect Julie and Stephanie around noon. Alex was in the middle of doing another load of Ana's laundry while ours created a new pile on the floor when the door bell rang.

"Who could that be?" Alex asked as her brow furrowed.

"Don't know, Angel. Here, take Ana. I'll get it," I said, handing the rarely quiet bundle over to Alex.

I opened the door for Steph and Julie. Julie was carrying a giant casserole and Stephanie had bags full of groceries.

"This wasn't necessary," I said as I gratefully eyed the lasagna. This morning I had a bowl of steel cut oat meal and some strawberries but besides that the last meal I had was the day before yesterday.

"Relax. All this stuff is from Ella," Stephanie explained. "I promise, I didn't cook a thing. She sent a bunch of her homemade soups, a vegetarian stew and her homemade pasta sauce which she made me promise to tell you could all go in the freezer," Stephanie said as she handed me the bags.

"God, I love that woman," I said as my eyes widened at the thought of actual hot meals instead of a random apple and a protein bar between Ana's feedings.

"Who is it?" Alex asked as she walked around the corner.

"Look, Sweetheart! Stephanie and Julie dropped by!" I said shooting Stephanie what I hope was a subtle look.

"Ummm. Yeah! Ranger got called into the wind so we thought we'd come by and maybe take Ana to Inez's for a few hours. Maria is going to be there with some of the other aunts and cousins. I thought maybe you guys could use a break," Stephanie suggested as her weight shifted awkwardly from one foot to another.

Alex hugged Ana a little tighter to her chest and eyed the three of us suspiciously.

"Lester, can I speak to you in the kitchen a moment?" Alex asked her voice noticeably going up an octave.

"Yeah, Angel. Excuse us," I said to Julie and Stephanie. _I hope they didn't notice my voice cracking slightly._

I followed Alex into the kitchen. "Lester, we can't just pass Ana off! We're her parents! She is our responsibility!" Alex hissed.

"We're not passing off our responsibility," I said calmly. "We have family and friends that love Ana and want to spend time with her. We could use a few hours off of Ana-duty. We need some sleep, some clean laundry and a long shower. Ana will be extremely well taken care of," I reassured my wife.

"Every new parent could use 'a few hours off'! But most don't get it. My dad was so busy being high that my mom was practically a single mom even before she kicked him out. She did this all by herself and there are two of us! This should be easy!" Alex cried, as she paced the kitchen with Ana.

I suppressed a sigh. I understood my wife's feelings but I just felt so burned out. "Alex, nothing about being a new parent is easy - for anyone. Your mother did it alone because she had to. And you would too if you have to, but you don't. We're lucky to have such a big and loving extended family. Why not use them to make our lives easier? Ana will always be our responsibility but there's nothing wrong with her hanging with some of her extended family once in awhile. She needs time away from us as much as we need time away from her. I want her to be comfortable around her grandparents and all her aunts and uncles. She's never going to be comfortable if we're constantly hovering like something's wrong," I pointed out.

Alex wasn't completely convinced. So I broke out the big guns. "Angel, I need you to do this for me. I need you to trust that I would never do anything to harm Ana. Ana will be fine going with Stephanie to my mother's house. She'll leave her car here and take mine which already has the seat all set up in it," I said firmly.

Alex's shoulders finally slumped in exhaustion. She looked so tired and worn out. "Alright, you win," she sighed wearily.

"This isn't a win or lose situation, Querida," I explained. "You bundle up Ana and I'll pack her baby bag," I said.

Alex nodded and left to get Ana's coat and winter gear. Ana's bag had actually already packed the night before.

Alex came back downstairs with Ana ready to go. I could tell her eyes were getting watery, as she started carefully bundling Ana into her car seat. Ana, of course, started screaming as soon as she was out of Alex's arms.

Stephanie's eyes went a little wide and Julie was physically wincing in fear. "She's fine once she gets in the car, she just doesn't like the car seat," I assured them.

"Sure!" Steph said brightly. Julie eyed me warily.

I handed Steph my keys and Julie carefully picked up Ana's car seat. "Do you guys need help with that?" Alex asked nervously.

"Nah, my niece used the same one. We've got it, Alex. Just try to enjoy your afternoon. We'll have Ana back here by seven, I promise," Steph said as she ushered Julie out of the house.

Tears started leaking out of Alex's eyes as she stared after them. "Come on, you're going to take a nice long bath and then you're going to take a nap," I said as I grabbed her hand and led her upstairs.

Alex followed me silently. I began running the bath and dumped in a bunch of that smelly stuff that Maria gave Alex for Christmas. I lit the candles and put on some classical music. It was a lot but I desperately needed Alex to relax.

I dropped a kiss on her head and headed downstairs for a long hot shower before changing the sheets on our bed. I laid out some clean pajamas for Alex and returned downstairs to tackle the dishes and laundry.

Alex eventually came downstairs and began helping me pick-up. I stopped her wordlessly by scooping her up in my arms.

"Lester! What are you doing?" she asked.

"You're going to lie down. I know you let me miss my feedings last night; you're exhausted and need to sleep," I said firmly as I carried her upstairs and then gently laid her in our bed. "Please, Querida. Get some sleep, "I asked.

"What about you?" she said groggily.

"I'll sleep soon; I'm just going to finish a few more things," I assured her.

I went back downstairs and continued to scrub the ever loving shit out of our home. It was spotless by the time I was done, and then I opened some windows for a bit to let our house breath. After all that work I showered again and then went to our bedroom.

I tried to quietly open the door. Alex was out cold, barely even moving. She's usually an incredibly light sleeper.

I threw on some boxers and climbed into bed. I pulled my wife close and within seconds was sound asleep.

I woke up to the sound of the phone ringing. I grabbed it and answered it groggily. Alex wasn't moving.

"Hello?" I mumbled.

"Yes, may I please speak to Alexis Torres?" a man asked.

I sat up immediately. Torres was Alex's father's last name. She changed it to her mother's when she turned eighteen.

"There is no one here by that name," I said carefully as I quietly left the room shutting the door behind me, as to not disturb Alex.

"I think she might have changed it to her mother's maiden name. Do you know a woman by the name of Alexis Lavoir?" the man asked.

"Who is this?" I asked. Alex isn't very open about her past to many people. She may have a lot of enemies from her spy days, but I couldn't imagine someone knowing her by the last name of Torres.

"My name is Grigori Torres, I'm Alexis's father," the man explained.

Steph's POV

Our afternoon with Ana started out a little rough. She screamed the first ten minutes in the car but finally passed out. Once we got to Inez's, she woke up and started screaming again until we got her out of that car seat and into someone's arms.

She just loved being held and with fifteen family members gathered around Ana was barely put down. When she was, she let her displeasure be known and it was a only a few seconds before she was swooped up into another pair of arms at which point she would immediately calm down again.

Not that there was any doubt, but Ana is clearly Lester Santos' child. He's the only other person I know who needs as much attention as that baby. Lester could probably survive days without food or water but I'd give him only about three hours before he died of lack of attention.

I love Lester, but honestly, I don't know how Alex handles him. I don't care how gorgeous he is, it's got to be exhausting!

It was all women until the doorbell rang late in the afternoon. A bunch of the neighbor boys saw all the cars which meant that the Santos' were having a party which in turn meant there was food. Lots and lots of food. Inez laughed as she ushered them in. I recognized some of them by sight from the other parties but couldn't remember any names.

I noticed that Julie sat a little straighter as the boys walked in. They looked anywhere between sixteen and nineteen and they definitely noticed Julie. I kept an eye on them throughout the afternoon and made sure Julie never disappeared for longer than a trip to the rest room. I knew I was being a little over protective but I just couldn't help it. I know what boys are like at that age.

Hell, I lost my virginity on the floor of the Tasty Pastry at sixteen to Joe Morelli!

I didn't hate the memory but Julie deserves a hell of a lot better than a one-time thing on a dirty floor. Joe and I obviously dated but not until about fourteen years after the fact. I also know that Ranger and Rachel's biggest fear is Julie making a similar mistake to what they made. They both openly talked about Julie going to college and really making a life for herself.

Not to mention, Julie is just fourteen and that's WAY TOO YOUNG for any of this stuff.

I may not believe on waiting for marriage but I do believe in waiting until you're in a healthy, loving relationship and Julie isn't even allowed to go to the movies with a boy by herself.

It was getting close to seven when we said our goodbyes and took Ana back to Lester and Alex's place. What a difference an afternoon makes! The house was spotless, Alex and Lester looked clear eyed and put together and I could smell some of Ella's lasagna in the oven.

Alex insisted that Julie and I stay for dinner, which we happily accepted. She looked relaxed but clearly happy to have Ana back. Lester seemed quiet…almost distracted for some reason. We helped clean up after dinner and then Julie and I went back to RangeMan.

Carlos was going to be home sometime the next day, supposedly late morning/early afternoon. Sometimes he gets in earlier so I wanted to make sure Julie and I are there when he arrives.

We were hanging out eating ice cream and watching TV when Julie said she was kind of tired. I glanced at the clock and it was only 9:00p.m. "Are you feeling okay?" I asked as I leaned over and touched her cheek to see if she felt overly warm.

"I'm fine, just really tired. Ana wore me out!" she said.

"So I take it you're not eager to have your own?" I asked grinning at her. Julie lightly pushed me in the arm. We've always had more of a friendship/aunt/niece relationship then a step-parent one.

"I love Ana, but after this afternoon and the constant crying, I think I may never have kids," she said.

"Well, you're father will be thrilled…for now," I said. Julie rolled her eyes in response.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't object to another brother or sister," she said.

There was a heavy pause between us. "Noted," I finally said. Julie stood up and hugged me tight before washing up and then heading into her bedroom for the evening.

I stayed up for another hour or so before heading to bed myself. I was tired after watching Ana all day and by watching I'm referring to letting Inez and Maria do the heavy lifting while I gorged myself. I'll definitely need a serious session in the gym tomorrow. Maybe I'll ask Bobby to work me out; he's always a good trainer.

I was starting to drift when the phone rang. It was a ring that let me know it was the control room. Thinking Carlos might be back I snatched it up.

"He back?" I asked.

"Ummm…no. I don't know exactly how to say this, so I'm just going to say it. Julie is currently sneaking out and there's a car parked about half a block down. I'm assuming that's her ride. Would you like me to intervene or do you wanna handle it?" asked Cal.

I froze for a second in confusion and as the realization washed over me who was in that car I became furious. "I'll handle it. Just get me a baseball bat," I said as I grabbed my robe and threw on flip flops.

"You sure about that, Bomber? I'll handle it," Cal said.

"Just get me the freaking bat!" I snapped. I was already tearing down the stairs at this point. Cal was waiting for me in the garage with the bat.

I snatched the bat from him and Cal's eyes widened at my crazed appearance.

"I can take care of the boys and you can get Julie," Cal offered again.

"No! She's my kid, I will handle it!" I declared.

Cal looked at me and gave me a nod as I stormed out of the building.

I walked out and saw Julie less the ten feet in front of me teetering on some heels she wasn't quite comfortable walking in, especially in the snow.

I realized Cal was following me out but keeping a respectable distance.

"Julie, turn your ass around and get back in the building!" I growled.

"Stephanie!" she said turning in surprise. "I wasn't doing anything, it's just some friends were in the neighborhood and I was going to say hi quickly," Julie stammered.

"Get. Inside. Now." I repeated as I marched towards the car.

I turned and watched a shaking Julie head towards Cal who had his arms crossed and he was giving her a firm look.

_Cal might make a good dad one day. _

I continued on my way to the car and without stopping I took the baseball bat and with one sharp swing shattered their tail light.

"What the hell! You bitch!" one of the boys cried out as he jumped out of the car to inspect. I recognized them from Inez's house; the one that called me a bitch was the oldest looking of the three. "How old are you?" I demanded shoving the tip of the bat into his chest to stand him up straighter as I pushed him against the car.

"Eighteen," he answered as he raised his hands defensively.

"What_ the fuck_ is an eighteen year old doing picking up a fourteen year old at midnight?" I demanded without removing the bat.

"Fourteen?" he stammered weakly. "She told us she was sixteen and that she was turning seventeen soon," he tried to explain. I glanced at his friends in the car who looked panic stricken.

"I'll tell you what, I know the neighborhood you live in and its fifteen minutes from here. I will give you fifteen minutes before I call up the Trenton police, most of whom I went to high school with and consider me a sister - and then I'll tell them about a car with a broken taillight that badly needs to be pulled over because the driver was propositioning a minor!" I sneered.

"We weren't propositioning her! We were just going to take her out with a few of our friends," he protested.

"That's not what the police are going to think and given that you are no longer a minor…it's not going to look good, my friend. Get back in your car and get the fuck out of here. If I see you so much as drive by here again, I'll go to your parents and tell them how you're harassing a fourteen year old and then I'll file a restraining order. Try putting that on your college application!" I shouted. "NOW GO!" I screeched.

The kid got back into the car, pulled away from the curb and took off down Hamilton Avenue. I stood in the middle of the street for a second and watched the car until the headlights disappeared.

I turned and headed back to RangeMan. Cal was still waiting outside with his arms folded and his eyebrows raised. As I got closer a grin appeared on his face. "Nicely done. You really didn't need me," Cal said mildly. "Nice pants there, _mom_," he said with an amused expression as he strolled back into the building.

I looked down and realized I was wearing Snoopy flannel pajama pants, a white tank top and my black silk robe…it was quite an outfit. I walked by a window and also saw that my hair was sticking out all over the place and that I didn't wash off the pimple cream I placed oh my forehead before my big confrontation. Needless to say, I must have looked insane and the weird thing is: I couldn't care less.

Julie was about to get into a car with a bunch of eighteen year old boys who were planning on taking her to a party. I was murderous at the thought that she _was_ the party.

Julie was standing in the corner of the garage clutching her sweatshirt around her, shivering.

"Come on, let's go upstairs," I said calmly.

Julie just followed me into the elevator wordlessly.

We entered the apartment. "Please tell me you have something on under that sweatshirt," I asked.

Julie nodded and unzipped the sweatshirt revealing a very short black skirt and a tank top. I raked my hands through my hair and let out a sigh. "Go put your pajamas on and meet me in the kitchen," I said.

I decided to make us both some hot chocolate. I may have thrown some bourbon into mine because this talk was going to suck.

Julie came out and sat at the island. I placed her mug in front of her.

"What were you thinking?" I asked her.

"I just wanted to go out and have some fun. I didn't think it would be a big deal," she tried to explain.

"If it wasn't such a big deal, why were you sneaking out and hiding what you were wearing?" I asked.

"It's just that mom and dad don't let me do anything! And then I got invited to hangout on my own and I didn't think you would let me without calling Mom and I know she wouldn't," Julie said defensively.

"I wouldn't have called Rachel," I explained. "I wouldn't have had to! There is no way in hell I'm going to let you go off with some strange eighteen year-olds at midnight," I declared.

"Why are you being like this? You're not even my step-mom! You're supposed to be the one that's on my side," Julie said as she started to cry.

"I am on your side Julie, but I'm being like this because what you did was dangerous! And I may not technically be your step-mother but for all future references I'm close enough," I explained. "You were going to run off with people you barely knew and you weren't telling anyone where you were going, you might not want to hear this but you're only fourteen and this behavior is unacceptable," I said.

"I'm not allowed to do anything! I can't even go to the mall with a friend to walk around! It's so unfair!" she declared as the tears came faster.

"So, you need your parents to give you a little more freedom and independence?" I asked.

She nodded.

"You know how you get that?" I asked her.

She shook her head as she looked up at me curiously.

"You establish trust. You don't try and sneak off in the middle of the night! How am I supposed to go to bat for you and try and convince your parents you deserve to be trusted and granted more freedom when you behave like this?" I asked her.

"You're going to tell them!" she shrieked.

"Of course I am! And if I didn't, Cal certainly would. You tried sneaking out of a secure building with cameras everywhere! Your dad will hear about this the moment he steps into RangeMan," I explained.

"They'll ground me! I thought you were my friend!" she said as the tears streamed harder.

"That's up to them. And I will always be your friend but what you need to realize is that I'm also a parent in your life," I said calmly.

"I hate you! You were supposed to be on my side," Julie sobbed as she covered her face with her hands.

I thought back to how many times I said those words to my mother and then I thought about her response.

"You can hate me all you want, but that doesn't change the fact that I love you and I will always do what's best for you even if you don't like it," I said firmly.

Julie continued to sob so I poured her a glass of water and told her to wash up in the bathroom and then get to bed; her father would be home in a few hours.

Now, I just had to figure out how to tell Carlos without him morphing into Ranger and locking Julie in a safe house until she turns eighteen.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N JE owns everything you recognize.**

**Sorry for the delay, the words just aren't flowing like they used to. This chapter is a long one so I hope I make up for my infrequent posting with some quality chapters (VaBabe has a lot to do with that). Thanks as always to VaBabe my rock star beta. Enjoy and let me know what you think!**

Bliss 28

Ranger's POV

The mission was short and sweet, just the way I liked it. I was eager to get back to Stephanie and Julie. When I got back Stephanie and Cal were waiting for me and insisted on taking me to the conference room before I saw Julie.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

Stephanie sighed. "Julie tried to sneak out last night. She was trying to go to a party with some of the boys from Inez's neighborhood," she explained.

I felt like someone hit me in the stomach. I know the boys she's talking about. They're older then Julie, I also know what I thought about at seventeen and eighteen. I was hit with a flashback of Rachel and me in my car. I felt my anger slowly rising. _She's only fourteen._

There were several minutes of silence while I tried to get a hold of my temper.

"Get Julie to pack her things," I finally said tightly.

"Carlos! You're not sending her home," exclaimed Stephanie.

"You're right, I'm not. I'm sending her to Rachel's Aunt's farm in Puerto Rico. Maybe if she spends the rest of her vacation doing hard labor instead of partying she'll get her head out of her ass," I stated.

"Ranger!" Stephanie shouted in exasperation.

"And then, I'm visiting those boys," I growled.

"They're kids Carlos. You can't touch them," she pointed out.

"I'm not going to touch them; I'm just going to talk. I'm going to let them know that they will never so much as glance at my daughter again. Then I'm going to discuss my years in the military during which I learned how to make a body disappear," I explained.

"You are _not _threatening teenage boys!" Stephanie stated.

"Yeah, Boss," chimed in Cal. "Plus Bombshell over there already took care of scaring the shit out of them," Cal pointed out.

That got my attention. "What do you mean?" I demanded.

"I got it all cued up," Cal grinned as he turned on the flat screen on the wall.

It was a shot from the front of the building, angled down the street. There was a car parked about a block down the road with its lights on. Julie came into the shot, wobbling in some ridiculous heels. I immediately noticed her bare legs and struggled to keep myself from ripping the television off the wall.

Stephanie appeared in the shot, looking wild in her pajamas with bed head. She said something to Julie who turned and headed back to RangeMan. I froze when I realized Stephanie was carrying a baseball bat.

Without a moment of hesitation I watched as Stephanie stalked over to the car and swung the bat hard taking out a tail light. The kid driving flew out of the car and Stephanie held the baseball bat to his chest and shoved him against the car. I don't know what the hell she was saying to him, but the kid was practically pissing himself. When she released him he jumped into the car and took off.

I turned slowly and looked at my woman. I felt an overwhelming pride, spread through my chest. "Babe," I said as I felt my face break into a smile.

"Are you satisfied, Batman?" she asked returning my smile.

"Proud of you, Babe," I said.

"I thought you might be," Cal muttered, he probably thought I couldn't hear him.

"But what are we going to do about Julie?" I asked.

"Well, Rachel and Ron are coming this weekend. I think we should all sit down and have a discussion with her about her behavior and come up with a suitable punishment. I think it would do Julie some good to see us all on the same page. A united front," Stephanie suggested.

"So you're really against the farm idea?" I asked.

"Ranger!" she barked.

I groaned and ran my hand over my face before I nodded begrudgingly.

"Alright, now we can go see Julie," Stephanie said.

I didn't bring up the farm punishment but I did sit Julie down and let her know I was aware of the situation and how disappointed I was and that we'd talk more once her mom and Ron got here.

She didn't like that we were letting Rachel and Ron know but I told her it wasn't negotiable.

The rest of the week was pleasant enough. Julie was slightly quieter than normal and when I would start to say something about it, one look from Stephanie would have me shutting my mouth.

It was Thursday night and we were in Bobby and Elaina's apartment waiting for Stephanie and Elaina to get ready for the distraction. In all the years that Stephanie has done distractions for me, way before we got together, there was never even a whisper of complaint.

Elaina, on the other hand, had done nothing but add caveats, question, bitch and complain and we hadn't even gotten out the fucking door.

Bobby was getting tenser by the minute. "What's with him?" Tank muttered to Lester.

"She's behaving like this because she's scared. She doesn't want to admit it or talk to Bobby about it but he can tell she's terrified. He said she's barely slept the last few nights," Lester mumbled back, loud enough for both Tank and I to hear.

_Shit_. A frazzled Elaina can be unpredictable. Unpredictability is not a good thing when it comes to this kind of an operation. Tank and I shared a quick look and I could tell he was thinking the same thing. It looked like it was going to be on Stephanie to keep Elaina calm and focused.

Lula and Alex were in the bedroom with the girls, helping get them into their "outfits". Stephanie just grabbed her bag and shrugged. Elaina flat out refused to wear the skirt so Lula ran out and bought her a pair of ridiculously low and tight leather pants. Elaina clearly felt more comfortable in pants and none of us dared to argue.

"How's it going in there?" Bobby called as he glanced at his watch for the millionth time.

"Fine!" Stephanie called out. The door finally opened and Stephanie came out looking like a different person.

I suppressed a groan.

She was wearing thigh high boots and a very short, red, fake leather skirt with a skin tight black tank top. She had a fake tattoo on her arm and very heavy make-up. She was Stephanie only a tougher, rougher, skankier version. Not the kind of woman you'd want to take home to mama but the kind you certainly wouldn't mind making an appearance in your own home once in a while.

Stephanie grinned at me. I couldn't help but smile back and shake my head. _She's just so damn cute. _

"Elaina?" I asked her.

Stephanie wrinkled her nose slightly. "She's ready but she thinks there's something wrong with her pants. We're all trying to tell her that they're supposed to be like that but she's a little self-conscious," Stephanie explained.

"Thumbelina! Get out here, I'm a women's-fashion expert! I'll tell you if something's wrong!" Lester shouted.

Elaina finally emerged from the bedroom followed by Lula and Alex who were both wearing giant grins.

Elaina was not grinning.

Stephanie took me aback but the guys were used to seeing her dressed for distractions. Elaina on the other hand, flat out floored us.

Gone was the conservative "ice princess." In her place was a punk-rock angel with some serious attitude.

Lester got a shit-eating grin on his face, Bobby's mouth hung open in shock and even Tank started to smirk at the change.

Elaina's eyes were heavily lined in black and her lips were painted a brilliant shade of red. She had her hair pulled up in a high pony tail and a fake nose ring. She was wearing six inch heels with those ridiculously tight pants which were so low that if she sneezed we'd probably see full frontal. Her shirt was tiny and exposed the outline of her breasts as well as most of her back. It also barely covered her belly button.

For someone insisting on pants, I'm not sure she got the better part of the deal.

"The pants look fine to me," Tank said as he gave Elaina an assessing look.

"The front isn't the problem," Elaina explained is an exasperated tone.

"Oh just show them already!" Lula exclaimed as she turned Elaina around for our inspection.

"Holy shit," Bobby muttered as his eyes widened.

Elaina's bright red thong was hanging out the back of her pants. She turned back around, her face slightly flushed and her jaw clenched in annoyance.

"That's not a problem! That's called a 'whale tail'" Lester explained.

"Excuse me?" Elaina asked.

"A whale tail. It's the shape of the whale's tail when it's sticking out of the ocean," I offered.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said flatly.

"Relax! It's a good thing. Trashy…and skanky, but also EXTREMELY hot. Trust me," Lester explained with a grin.

"So I'm supposed to walk around all night with my panties hanging out for everyone to see?" Elaina demanded as she folded her arms.

"This is easily solvable, just ditch the panties and go commando," Tank offered.

Elaina gave Tank a sharp look.

"Well, it looks like everyone's going to see my underwear tonight. Let's get this over with," she said.

"Hold on," Alex said as she walked over to Elaina. Without saying anything she reached into Elaina's barely there shirt and began adjusting her breasts.

All the guys froze as we watched Alex "fix" Elaina while the women didn't seem to notice the guys' reactions.

"There's no way she'd ever let me do that in public," Bobby muttered.

"God, I love my wife," Lester whispered as his eyes locked onto what Alex was doing.

"There!" Alex exclaimed after she finished adjusting Elaina. "I think you're ready! I can't tell you how jealous I am that you guys are going to do this," she said.

"I'd be happy to stay with Ana and have you take my place," Elaina muttered.

Lula finally realized that Lester, Tank, Bobby and I were frozen in place watching Elaina and Alex's interaction. She snapped her fingers in front of our faces to break the spell.

"Seriously, gentlemen, I thought you were professionals," Lula said with a headshake. "Alex and I are going to get Ana from Ella's and then we're heading back to the townhouse. We'll see you guys later," Lula laughed as she and Alex kissed Tank and Lester goodbye.

"Come on Elaina, let's go catch us a bad guy!" Steph said cheerfully as she grabbed Elaina's arm to pull her out of the apartment.

Elaina gave us all a dubious look but followed.

I had a feeling it was going to be a long night.

Elaina's POV

I was trying to keep from shaking as Stephanie wrapped the wire around me. I mentally order myself to calm down and to pull it together. I'm technically a licensed bounty hunter now, Stephanie used to do this stuff before she had any training. I at least have some basic self defense down.

I asked her if she was ever nervous while doing this before her training. She laughed and said "No, but I never realized how dangerous it was until after I got out." As you can imagine, that didn't make me feel much better.

I felt like a complete fool dressed like this, not to mention I'm going to be out in public with my panties hanging out the back of my pants. I knew the chances of running into anyone I know were small but I couldn't imagine what the hell I would say to explain myself.

Somehow, trying to concentrate on how stupid I looked was less distressing than the fact that I was about to walk into a bar and let some murderer feel me up. As that image entered my head again, I felt my stomach turn and had to take a deep breath to calm myself.

"There! It's all hidden. You look great and I promise this is going to be really easy and I'll be with you the whole time," she promised as she gave me a reassuring smile.

I tried to smile back as I nodded.

"Elaina, you ready?" asked Tank.

"Yes, sir," I responded.

"All right, Bobby, Lester, Cal and Zero are inside. Ranger and Vince are covering the front and Ram and Hal are in the back," Tank explained.

"I thought Vince was going to be inside and Lester was going to cover the front. Why the change?" I demanded. These operations are thought out and pre-planned to the T; there are no arbitrary changes.

"Bobby wants his eyes on you but we're all nervous he'll intervene. Lester is the best one to handle Bobby," Tank explained.

"Shit," I muttered as I stared at the ground. Bobby's nervous because I'm nervous, which is making all the guys nervous. This isn't good.

"It's okay Elaina; these guys have done this a thousand times. Lester can handle Bobby. You just concentrate on what you need to do," Stephanie said calmly.

"Right," I said as I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.

"Alright ladies, I'll be listening every step of the way; go to work," Tank said with an approving nod as he opened the door to the surveillance van and let us out.

We exited the van and I took a deep breath before giving Steph a nod, letting her know I was ready to go in.

The walk from the van to the bar was over way too quickly for my liking. "You've got this, you look amazing, he's going to be eating out of your hand within an hour. Just be confident," Stephanie whispered into her mike so I could hear it in my ear piece. I pushed my shoulders back and lifted my chin as I began walking confidently over to the bar.

"Atta girl!" came Lester's voice in my ear.

I felt a smile form on my lips as I spotted Lester and Bobby drinking at the bar. Zero and Cal were playing pool in the corner. To my relief my uhh…attire blended me in perfectly instead of making me stand out. Stephanie stuck to me like glue, much to my relief.

"Two budlights," I told the bartender as I threw down a twenty.

"He's here," Cal whispered.

I felt my breath hitch in my throat.

"Relax," Bobby said calmly. I took a breath.

"Lean against the bar and stick your ass out," ordered Stephanie.

"What?" I asked quizzically.

"Just do it!" she hissed.

I placed my forearms on the bar and bent down so my back was arched and my ass was definitely sticking out. I know my 'whale tale' is in full view and I clenched my jaw, trying to pretend that I didn't notice or didn't care.

"Damn, he spotted Elaina fast!" Zero said.

I glanced at Stephanie who gave me a triumphant smile.

"Target is closing in, get ready Thumbelina," Lester said.

The bartender just returned with our beers. "Put those on my tab, Ross," came a voice from behind me.

I turned around and plastered a flirty smile on my face. "Any particular reason you're paying for our beer?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow.

"I needed a reason to meet you. Levi," the target said to me as he held out his hand. He was about 5' 10'' and skinny. He had dark slicked back hair, dark eyes and a slight scar across his cheek. He had plenty of tattoos and several earrings as well as an eyebrow ring. He was attractive but definitely not my type and this is besides the whole 'murderer' thing.

"Alice," I said shaking his hand. "This is my roommate Stacey," I said introducing Stephanie.

Levi and Stephanie shook hands.

"My friend, Max, is coming. He'll love you," Levi smiled as his eyes traveled up and down Stephanie.

"Well, then I'll probably love him, considering he has such good taste," Stephanie purred.

_Damn, she's good at this._ Here she is flirting with the FTA I'm supposed to be after and all I want to do is cross my arms and roll my eyes. I willed my arms to remain relaxed, took another deep breath and kept a pleasant look on my face.

"Why did you want to meet us so bad?" I asked as I took a swig of my beer and leaned against the bar in an attempt to display my body. It felt awkward and I prayed I wasn't blushing but I knew I did something right by the look of approval on Steph's face.

"I spotted you from the moment you walked in. I knew I had to meet you," Levi explained as he leaned into me.

I felt a shiver run up my spine and not in a good way. I was seriously creeped out, but I told the guys I could handle this, so I damn well better handle it.

"Well, I'm glad you did," I said as I looked up through my lashes at him.

We continued to drink our beers and flirt until a man with a Mohawk punched Levi Jonas in the shoulder as a greeting and then made a beeline for Stephanie.

"That's Max," Levi informed me.

"I could've guessed that," I said as I watched Max order Stephanie a shot.

This was slightly worrisome. Stephanie can't hold her alcohol and we don't know the bartender at this place. I wasn't going to panic though. I think I almost have Levi Jonas where I want him. He's been gradually touching me for the past fifteen minutes.

It started out with an arm touch, then a thigh and then an "accidental" brush up against my chest. Now, his arm is around me and I've plastered myself to his side. He reached down to feel my ass. I clench my jaw in an attempt to hide my revulsion.

I hate that he's touching me. I saw Stephanie get handed another shot and a beer by Max. _ I'm not liking this. If I want this over with, maybe I need to speed things along. _I swallowed hard and draped myself even more on Levi. I began kissing his neck.

"Damn, you feel good," he whispered as he gripped my ass harder. His mouth came crashing onto mine and it took all of my will power not to push him off me. I hated kissing him, it was disgusting and I felt my stomach turn.

I broke the kiss before I gagged. "I'll feel even better back at my place," I whispered as I smiled up at him.

"Nice one Elaina!" Zero said.

_Oh please, oh please, oh please let this work._

"You're not fucking around, are you, sweetheart?" Levi said with a grin.

"I just know what I want and I go after it," I said aggressively. I glanced at Stephanie over his shoulder and she looked drunk. _FUCK._ I felt myself start to panic.

"Bomber's keeping the friend distracted so he won't be a problem. She knows what she's doing," came Lester's voice assuring me.

"Just walk him out, you got this, Baby," came Bobby's voice. It felt so good to hear him call me "Baby" that I could have cried.

I returned my attention to Levi. I put my arms around his neck and pulled him down for another kiss. He pulled me tight against him and I got a good idea that he was interested in coming back with me. I started shaking in fear. Luckily, he seemed to think I was so turned on that I was shaking.

"Let's get out of here." I whispered as I broke the kiss.

"You're a naughty girl, I can't wait to punish you later," he whispered hotly in my ear.

I tried not to cringe.

He took my hand as we headed towards the back exit. I was only a few steps away from being done. I felt relief begin to flood my veins.

Levi began walking behind me with his hands on my hips. I heard the guys prepare for us to appear out the back exit.

Unfortunately, Levi had other ideas.

All of a sudden his arms wrapped around my waist and he lifted me off the ground, dragging me into a side storage room.

"What are you doing?" I asked attempting to keep the fear out of my voice.

"I can't wait and from the way you were shivering every time I touched you, neither can you," he said as he spun me around and kissed me hard.

_OH SHIT. OH SHIT. OH SHIT. _

"I'm not having sex with you in a storage room!" I exclaimed praying that the guys would find me if I continued to say 'storage room'.

I couldn't hear any chatter over the wire and I felt myself start to sweat.

"Relax, I have a condom. Don't worry I'm still going back to your place where we're going to continue to have fun, all night long!" he said giving me what I think was supposed to be a sexy grin.

His mouth slammed back onto mine again and I forced myself not to recoil as his tongue pushed past my lips. He tasted like stale cigarettes and cheap beer.

I felt his hands travel from my ass to the front as he began pulling on my pants. I broke our kiss. "I'm really not having sex with you in a _storage room_," I said again. I was really hoping that the guys would hurry the hell up. _Where were they?_

"You're suddenly so shy," he commented as he kissed down my neck. I felt his hand once again trying to find a way into my pants. I silently thanked Lula and her pension for buying clothing a size too small. He could not for the life of him get his hands into my pants.

"Holy shit, how am I going to get you outta these things," he laughed.

"I'll show you…_at home_," I said.

"Mmmmm. Fine, but you don't know what you do to me," he said as his hand ran up my belly and began fondling my breasts as he went back to kissing my neck.

I tried not to cringe but then I realized the biggest problem just as he did.

"What the fuck is this?" he growled as his hand pulled the wire from my shirt.

"It's….I just…." I stuttered. I didn't have a clue what to say, I thought I was scared before but now as I watched his face change from impassioned to enraged I realized I was now in real trouble.

His hand found my throat and pinned my up against the wall. "Who do you work for? Where are they, bitch! Answer me!" he screamed into my face.

His fingers began to tighten around my throat and I gasped. "I can't answer you if you keep chocking me!" I gasped out. He let go of my throat and I fell to the floor gasping for breath. He didn't give me much time to recover, he hauled me to my feet and tightened his grip on my arm to the point it was painful.

"I'm giving you one more chance, bitch, where are the people you're working for?" he asked again.

I clamped my mouth shut, praying that the door would be thrown open. I've been out of sight for at least three minutes; they have to be searching for me. _Right?_

He raised his hand and struck me hard on the side of the face, I crumbled to the ground and he launched himself on top of me. I covered my face and prepared myself for another blow.

Just then I heard a loud crashing sound and he was yanked off me abruptly by a furious Bobby. I scrambled into the corner and covered my head instinctually.

I peeked through my fingers and watched Bobby tackle Levi Jonas to the ground and then I heard the sickening sound of bones breaking. Bobby's face was contorted with rage as he continued to beat Jonas. I've never seen him like this.

He was terrifying.

The other guys rushed and Lester and Cal began wrestling Bobby off Jonas.

It was getting ugly.

Ranger came in and was attempting to help subdue Bobby while securing Levi Jonas. The guys began dragging both Jonas and Bobby outside.

I'm not even sure they realized I was there.

Stephanie burst in seconds later and immediately began scouring the floor with her eyes, as soon as she spotted me she sprinted over and collapsed beside me.

"Elaina, Elaina, are you okay?" she asked.

"I…he was going to hit me again, Bobby got him off me. Tell me it's over," I asked wearily.

"It's over, it's over. I'm so sorry we lost lot the reception from the microphone once he brought you in here, we couldn't hear anything. We began searching the bar, I thought he might have dragged you into the bathroom and then we found out about a side exit that was usually blocked off and we were scared he took you out there," she stammered as she started crying.

I rolled my face to look at hers. "You're drunk ," I snorted.

She let out a cackle and then a hiccup between tears. "Yeah, I'm really, really drunk. He kept buying shots," she explained.

"Just get me off the floor," I commanded.

Stephanie scrambled to her feet and then gently pulled me up. We leaned against each other as we stumbled into the parking lot. I needed her support considering I was still shaking from my encounter with Jonas; Stephanie needed me because she was straight up shit-faced and couldn't have walked a straight line with a gun to her head.

The guys were gathered around Bobby talking to him. Bobby still looked furious. Jonas was secured in one of the cars. Ram was climbing into the driver's seat to drive him back to jail. He gave us a nod as he started the car and drove away.

Bobby's eyes finally registered me. He shoved past the rest of the guys and began sprinting to me. He scooped me up in his arms and crushed my body to his. "Baby! I'm so sorry. Are you alright? Please tell me he didn't hurt you," he said.

"It would've been a lot worse if you hadn't come in when you did," I whispered.

"I saw him leaning over you with his fist raised and I lost it. The guys didn't even want me near you until I calmed down," he explained.

"Why? You would never hurt me," I said.

"I know, and they know, too. They just didn't want you to see me out of control like that and honestly I wouldn't want that either," he explained.

"You weren't you. You were…frightening," I said, maybe in slight awe of what I just witnessed.

"I know and I'm so sorry. I would never hurt you," Bobby said as he soothingly run his hand through my hair. I just held him tighter. "Come on, I'm taking you back to RangeMan to check you out. You're going to tell me, in detail, everything that happened," he said as he guided me to the car.

I glanced back at Stephanie and saw that Ranger had her over his shoulder, walking to his car as she chattered, giggled and hiccupped.

I leaned against Bobby, wearily.

_Looks like I won't be the only one with a headache tomorrow. _

Stephanie's POV

I rolled over and let out a moan. It wasn't a good moan. I felt like I was dying. "Holy shit, Carlos," I called out as I felt like my head was going to split in two.

"Shhh, mi amor. I'm calling Bobby, he told me if you felt bad to get him and he'd hook you up to an IV," came a soothing voice.

"How much did I drink last night?" I asked.

"Seven shots and four beers. He really wanted to make sure you were drunk," Ranger said is a surprisingly calm voice.

"That asshole!" I hissed as I grabbed my head.

Bobby then walked in holding his medic's bag. "Elaina?" I managed to croak out.

"Waiting in the living room. She can't handle being along in the apartment right now," he said as his face turned stony.

_Shit. _I not only felt awful but incredibly guilty. I know technically I did my job, when the other guy showed up I made sure he stayed out of the way. But I hated leaving Elaina alone for even a second with psycho, Levi Jonas. She was in a ball, shaking when I found her. I was drunk as hell, but that image cuts through my foggy memory. She had bruises on her throat. Bobby was so busy trying to kill Jonas he didn't realize his terrified fiancé was less than ten feet away horrified at what she was witnessing.

I groaned as Bobby swabbed my arms and then hooked me up to an IV.

"Why didn't you pump my stomach?" I asked.

"We didn't need to, you vomited all on your own," Bobby explained.

"I don't remember that," I admitted.

"In the car, Babe," Carlos explained.

"The car? Shit. Ranger, I'm so sorry," I said as tears began running down my face.

"Relax , Babe, its already cleaned up. You have nothing to say sorry for," Carlos said gently.

"You'll feel better soon, Bomber," Bobby said.

"Can I see Elaina?" I asked.

Bobby stuck his head out and called for Elaina. Elaina came in wearing her pajamas and looking tired. The bruises around her neck were very visible right now. I think I could some lighter bruises on her face and arms. "Are you okay?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I'm fine, nothing broken," she said as she gave me a tight smile.

"I'm so sorry," I said earnestly.

"Nothing to be sorry for. These things happened I knew that when I agreed to it," she said with another shrug.

"Come on Baby, Bomber needs to sleep off this hangover and you need some rest," Bobby said as he gently guided Elaina out.

Carlos sat beside on the bed. "Can I get you anything?" he asked.

"A gun," I answered.

He snorted. "Just rest, Babe. I'll be right here," he reassured me as he lay down next to me.

"I love you, Carlos," I whispered as I started to drift off back to sleep.

I felt his lips on my forehead. "Love you too," he whispered back.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I woke up the next morning feeling slightly better. I think the IV really saved my ass. I rolled out of bed and trudged to the shower to wash the smell of cheap tequila off me. Even thinking about cheap tequila was making my stomach turn.

I got out of the shower and threw on jeans and a t-shirt. Carlos was making breakfast and Julie was sitting at the island.

"Babe? I didn't think you'd be up for hours. You feeling alright?" he asked me.

"You look like shit," Julie commented.

"Language!" Carlos warned.

"Sorry….you look like crap," Julie amended.

"I feel like crap, but I promised I'd go with Erik to meet Cody for the first time. He's my partner, I can't miss it," I said as I eased myself into a chair and gratefully took the mug of coffee from Carlos.

"You sure you're up to that?" Carlos asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nope. But I'm going anyway," I said as I began sipping the coffee. "Shit…I mean crap! I didn't realize it was already 9:30. I gotta go meet Erik in the garage," I said as I grabbed my purse. "I'll see you guys this afternoon," I said as I ran towards the elevator.

I arrived in the garage to find Erik pacing in front of his car.

"Sorry! Sorry, sorry," I said as I jogged out of the elevator.

Erik stopped and looked at me. "_That's _what you're wearing?" he asked.

"I don't remember you being a style expert Tanner! Shut the fuck up!" I snapped as we climbed into the car.

"What the hell is your problem? You're the one that's late," he pointed out.

I sighed and gave him a full recap of my night.

"Shit. Sorry, Bomber. Remind me to check on Elaina later. I guess that explains a lot of things, I just assumed you were on the rag," he said.

I groaned. "I don't have my period!" I pointed out.

….and then it hit me. _Period._ _PERIOD._

I was expecting my period around Alex's shower…that was weeks ago. _How could I have missed it?_

I felt my stomach do a back flip as the realization washed over me.

_OH MY GOD. HOLY FUCKING SHIT. FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK…._


	29. Chapter 29

**A/N - JE owns everything you recognize.**

**Thanks to my wonderful beta VaBabe for helping me and pushing me through every chapter. I've already sent her a few more so I'll hopefully be back on a regular posting schedule now that the craziness in real life has died down. Thanks to everyone for sticking with me and for all the love and support. Leave a review and let me know what you think!**

Chapter 29

Lula's POV

I was waiting at Fun Zone for Erik and Stephanie. Fun Zone is a giant indoor kid's gym. There are slides, a climbing wall and a huge ball pit. Everything is covered in brightly colored mats. It's a cute place if you can get passed the smell of children.

I just got the call from Melanie Upton letting me know that she had arrived with Cody. I'd be the one supervising today. It's the first time Erik is meeting his son and I honestly feel honored to be here. But I'm not telling his ass that. I want him to think I'm doing him a favor.

From what Lester and Tank said, Steph might not make it this morning. I was hanging with Alex at her and Lester's place when our guys came back from the distraction. I could tell by the look on their faces that it didn't go well.

"That bad?" I asked.

"Yeah. Jonas got some alone time with Elaina," Lester said.

"Was she able to keep up the act?" Alex asked.

"She said she was until he reached in her shirt and found the wire. He choked her and hit her," Tank explained as he sat down wearily.

"Oh my god! Is she okay?" I asked.

"Physically. She's real shaken up; I think seeing Bobby beat the shit out of Jonas didn't help things," Lester said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Bobby got to Jonas first?" Alex cringed.

Lester just nodded grimly.

"That must've been brutal," I muttered.

"It was. I've known Bobby for over ten years and I've never seen him lose it like that. He could've killed him with his bare hands if we hadn't stopped him," Lester said.

"Poor Elaina, that couldn't have been easy for her to see," Alex said.

"Where was Stephanie?" I asked.

"Keeping the friend distracted; poor girl was guzzling shots. I've seen Bomber pretty drunk before but I've never seen her like this. Bobby told Ranger to take her to the hospital to have her stomach pumped but she ended up vomiting in the car," Tank said.

"She's going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow," I mumbled.

"No doubt," Lester agreed.

Now, I was expecting Stephanie to look bad this morning. I wasn't expecting her to be as pale and shaky as she was when she and Erik showed up.

I waved to them. "Girl, I heard about your night. You look like shit, you sure you wanna hangout here with a bunch of over active kids?" I asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine really. Just tired I guess," Stephanie said as she glanced around. She seemed really distracted.

I looked at Erik and he just shrugged. "Is Cody here yet?" he asked nervously.

"He is. He's with his mom in the car. I'm going to go get him and bring him in. I'm hoping that you and Melanie can get to a point where you can do these exchanges without a third party involved. You'll have two hours today. Just relax, watch your language and don't say anything negative about his mother," I warned.

"Elaina already told me that," he said nodding.

"Woman gives good advice," I mumbled as I thought about how Elaina's doing right now.

I left the building and found Melanie and Cody sitting in a BMW. I met Cody before at my office so I was hoping this exchange will go smoothly.

Melanie got out of the car and then pulled Cody out of his car seat. "Hi Cody! Do you remember me?" I asked brightly as I crouched down to be eye level with him.

He nodded as he held his mother's hand. Melanie did not look pleased. She looked mad as hell. I just kept on smiling.

"We're going to meet someone very special today! Do you know who you're going to meet?" I asked.

"Erik," he mumbled as he shyly hid behind his mother's legs. I didn't know how to respond to that. It was clear that Melanie didn't tell him that he was meeting his father. I wasn't going to get into this with her now, but I'm certain Erik is going to have something to say.

"You're going to play with Erik today! Isn't that exciting? He's waiting for you right inside. Are you ready?" I asked him.

Cody looked at his mother. She bent down and hugged and kissed him. "Be a good boy and have fun with Erik! I'll be back to pick you up in a little bit okay?" she said sweetly.

It's nice to know that even though this woman is a complete bitch, she's actually good to her kid. Cody hugged his mom and then took my hand.

I guided the boy inside. Erik froze when he saw Cody. I would never call the man on it, but I swear I saw his eyes well up. He swallowed hard and blinked a few times.

"Cody, this is Erik," I said introducing them.

"Erik?" Erik said to me.

"Just go with it for now," I said calmly.

"Hey buddy, do you know who I am?" he asked.

"Erik," Cody parroted.

"Yeah. That's my name," Erik said as he crouched down.

"Hi Cody, I'm Erik's friend Stephanie," Stephanie said easily as she got on the floor. "Wanna hear something really cool?" Stephanie asked.

Cody nodded.

"Erik is your dad," Stephanie said.

"No, daddy's at home," Cody said with a head shake.

"Well, Cody. You didn't know this but you are really, really lucky. You my friend, have two dads. How cool is that?" Stephanie asked.

"Really?" Cody asked.

"Yep. Erik is also your daddy and you guys are going to play together today and then you're going to go home and play with your other daddy. How lucky are you?" Stephanie said.

Cody began smiling as he looked from Stephanie to Erik. "Wanna go play in the ball pit with daddy Erik?" Stephanie asked.

Cody nodded and held out his hand to Erik. Erik looked at the tiny hand in awe and took it in his large one.

"Go have fun with your son. You don't have all day," I ordered.

Erik nodded. "Thanks," he said giving Stephanie and I a sheepish smile.

"Not bad for a hungover-mess," I said giving Stephanie a look.

"I am pretty awesome," she agreed.

I snorted and she smiled at me. Stephanie and I spent the next two hours watching Erik and Cody climb, jump, slide and play in the ball pit.

When Melanie called to let me know she was waiting outside, I signaled Erik. He brought Cody over.

"Did you have fun today playing with your other daddy?" I asked.

"Yeah! I got to climb the wall! Did you see? I went really high!" Cody said excitedly.

"We did! You did such a good job! Mommy's here so it's time to say goodbye to daddy Erik," I said.

Erik squatted down. "I had fun today. Can we play again next week?" Erik asked.

"Yeah!" Cody said as he threw his arms around Erik. Erik held the boy and slowly closed his eyes. It was if he was trying to memorize this moment so that he'd never forget it.

"Okay Buddy, I'll see you next week," Erik said as his voice cracked with emotion.

I took Cody's hand and led him to the car. For someone who was so shy two hours ago, Cody really loosened up. He was babbling nonstop about all the things he did with "daddy Erik." It was cute. I'm sure Melanie is going to hate it.

Melanie acted thrilled when Cody told her all the cool things he did but once she got him in the car seat she gave me a nasty look and said that she's see me next week.

_Bitch, it's not my problem you hid the kid's real father from him. _

Erik was grinning from ear to ear when I went back inside. "This was seriously the best day of my life. I can't believe how well that went!" Erik exclaimed.

"You did good," I said giving him a smile. "Now I spent all last night with Ana and my morning with Cody. They're great kids but I'm ready for a little adult time. I'll see you guys later," I said as I grabbed my purse to leave.

"Thanks again Lula, I really appreciate it," Erik said.

"Just doing my job," I said.

I said goodbye and headed back home. I was looking forward to a nice quiet afternoon. Tank was working and all I wanted to do was sit down and catch up on Downton Abbey. I've been Tivo-ing episodes but Tank can't tolerate the show so I wait till he's not home for my fix.

I got home, changed into some sweat pants and broke out some cheese, crackers and red wine. I settled onto the couch. _Now this is a way to spend a cold, nasty January afternoon. _

I had literally just picked up the Tivo remote when the doorbell rang. _Son of a Bitch! Who the hell could that be?_

I got up and to my surprise Lester Santos was standing on my porch. "Lester? Tank's at RangeMan," I said.

"Yeah, I know. I needed to talk to you. Alone," he said. He seemed agitated. I like Lester a lot but I've always been much closer with Alex then Lester. I don't think I can recall a time that Lester and I had ever hung out together alone.

"Come on in," I said. I have to admit I was curious. I got Lester a wine glass and sat him down on the couch.

"Am I interrupting something?" he asked as he eyed my spread.

"I was just about to watch Downton Abbey. You're lucky I hadn't started, I would've left your ass waiting on the porch," I said.

"I love Downton Abbey! I can't stand what happened to Sybil," Lester said.

"Shut up! I haven't caught up yet! I swear you ruin this for me and I'll stab you with that cheese knife," I warned.

"Do you mind?" he asked gesturing to the cheese.

"Help yourself. Now, did you come over here to drink my wine, eat my cheese and ruin my show or did you actually need something?" I asked.

Lester popped a cracker with cheese into his mouth then took a sip of his wine. "I don't know how to really say this so I'm just going to say it. Alex's dad called," Lester said.

I froze in shock for a second. "Is she okay? What did he want?" I asked.

"Well, ummm….she doesn't exactly know yet," Lester said slowly.

"Wait, what? I don't understand," I said.

"He called last week, Alex was sleeping and I didn't wake her. He wants to see her. I think he wants to try to rebuild their relationship," Lester explained.

I snorted. "Little late for that, isn't it?" I said.

"I know he was a dick but he wants to make things right. I haven't told Alex because I know she won't see him. So I sorta invited him to RangeMan," Lester cringed.

"Lester! Are you out of your mind?" I asked.

"I thought a lot about it. That way he doesn't know where we live and we can find out if he's serious about rebuilding their relationship. I think if Alex actually saw him she'd give him a chance. It's much easier to hang up the phone then it is to walk out of a room," Lester explained.

I sighed. "Look, I know you have the best of intentions but you have to remember that not everyone views family the way that you do. You, Ranger, Tank, Stephanie and Elaina grew up with loving parents, and an amazing extended family. I know it's hard to understand why someone wouldn't want a relationship with their family but not everyone had such a great childhood," I said.

"I know! But Alex deserves a relationship with her dad! She also has a large extended family that she hasn't seen since she was five! Family is so important. This is a way for her to also connect with them," he argued.

"Lester, I'm not saying that Alex doesn't deserve a great family. Of course she does and she has one, now. Reconnecting with her biological family should be her choice. She doesn't have really anything nice to say about her father, I think you should at least tell her that he called," I said.

Lester sat back and looked at the ceiling. "I just feel like I need to get them into a room together," he said.

"Let me ask you something, if your mind was already made up. Why are you asking me what I think?" I asked.

"I know you and Alex have similar experiences with your families and I was kinda hoping you'd back me up," he said sheepishly.

"You really came over just to see if I'd back you up? Lester, this is going to go bad if you spring this on Alex. I'm telling you it's a bad idea and it's your ass if it goes poorly," I said.

"Shit," he muttered.

"Well, is that it?" I asked.

"Yeah," he sighed.

I looked him in the eye and then looked at the door to give him the hint that I'm ready for my alone time.

"Can I just stay for an episode? Alex doesn't watch it so I always end up watching it alone," he complained.

I sighed. "Alright, but if you ruin the ending for me I'll never forgive you," I warned.

"Promise! Now pass me the wine and the sharp cheddar!" he said.

Bobby's POV

_Four minutes, seventeen seconds. _ That's how long he was alone with her.

I felt like such an asshole.

Elaina tossed and turned and couldn't seem to calm down. I ended up giving her a sedative around 0400. I was happy to see that she was still asleep at 0800 when I went down to the gym to work out. I really needed to get rid of some of the aggression.

I couldn't get those images out of my mind. First the ones of her, hanging all over him, making out with him, his hands….everywhere. Then I'd flash to finding them in that storage room. She was on the floor looking so tiny and his body was over her he had his fist drawn back and I knew he was going to hit her.

I snapped. I barely remember anything I did to Jonas. What I do clearly remember is Lester and Cal hauling me off him and dragging me outside to calm me down.

Elaina came out leaning on Stephanie. She was in shock. I ran to her and took her in my arms. I don't remember ever being so worried. She clung to me for dear life. I took her back to RangeMan and got a good look at the marks on her throat. _He could've killed her._

_Four minutes, seventeen seconds. _

_She should hate me for putting her through this. I bet she thinks I'm an animal after seeing the way I went ballistic. I feel awful that she saw that._

I worked out hard, making sure I was completely exhausted before returning to our apartment. I was surprised to find Elaina up. She was standing in the living room. She seemed to be in a little bit of a daze, probably from the sedative.

I walked up behind her and gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Baby?" I said softly.

Elaina gasped and jumped. She whirled around, eyes filled with fear.

I felt like something punched me in the gut when I saw her reaction.

I immediately took a step back and raised my hands slowly so she could see them. "Baby, it's just me. Are you alright?" I said calmly.

Elaina placed a hand on her chest as she recovered. "Bobby, I'm sorry. I don't know why I reacted like that," she said apologetically.

"Don't apologize. Please, after all I put you through," I said as I touched her softly on the face.

"You didn't put me through anything. I agreed to do it. What happened was awful but it wasn't your fault," she said.

I pulled her into my arms and against my sweat soaked chest. When I realized, I tried to let her go but she continued holding on right so I figured it didn't bother her.

"I'm just so sorry," I whispered into her hair.

"Stop it. Seriously, I'll be okay," she said as she held me tight. "But there is something I think we need to discuss," she said as she pulled away from me.

"What, Sweetheart? You can talk to me about anything," I said emphatically as I looked her straight in the eyes.

Elaina paused and took a deep breath. "I'm not Stephanie. And I never will be," she said as her eyes slowly met mine.

"What? What are you talking about? Do you still think I'm hung up on Stephanie?" I asked her. I was shocked. Stephanie and I had…a thing a long time ago. Ranger was in the wind and it was before they got together and way before I even met Elaina. I love Stephanie, she's amazing. But she's not Elaina. Elaina is everything to me and the only woman I've ever been in love with.

_How can she even doubt my love for her?_

"No, Bobby. It's not that. I know that you look at Ranger and Stephanie and Alex and Lester and envy their relationships. I know that you wish I was involved in RangeMan the way that Stephanie and Alex are but I don't want to be. I love my job, and I'm damn good at it. I'm not cut out to be a bounty hunter and I have no interest in ever being one. Honestly, I wish we were a little more like Tank and Lula. They each have their own careers and there is no resentment about that," she explained.

"I know you're not Stephanie, and I know you're not Alex and I don't want you to be! You think I resent you? I've never resented you!" I exclaimed.

"I wasn't talking about you resenting me," she said quietly.

I froze for a moment. "You're beginning to resent me?" I asked softly.

She nodded. "I know that you want me to be a part of RangeMan and I honestly don't have a problem helping out once in awhile. But over the last six months once in awhile has turned into several times a week. Hell, half the reason I suggested hiring admins to Ranger was so that I didn't have to come in as often to help with paperwork. I go to client meetings, I handle HR matters, I help out with payroll and now I'm doing distractions. I have a full time job which I love and already put some long hours into. If I'm going to cut back there I want it to be because we want to spend more time together, not so I can pick up a second job which I don't need," she explained.

I felt guilty. She was right. I would've loved it if she decided to go down to volunteer status at the Chase Foundation and worked full time at RangeMan. But that's not Elaina. She's a partner at the Chase Foundation and I'm damn proud of her. If working here isn't making her happy, why the hell have I been pushing it?

"I just want you to be happy. I don't want you to resent me. I appreciate how much time you have given up to help my business and I know the rest of the partners do as well," I said.

"I love Tank, Ranger and Lester to death. But I never did any of this for them, it's always been for you," she said almost shyly.

I felt warmth spread through my chest at her words.

"Elaina, I love you. If you don't want to work at RangMan anymore that's all you need to say," I assured her.

She shrugged. "I don't mind helping occasionally with office stuff. If you want me at client dinners with you, of course I'll go. You do attend all my events that you can with me. It just can't be every week," she said.

"That's fair. Is there anything else I can do to make you feel better?" I asked as I took her in my arms once again and kissed her forehead.

"Just be with me… and continue to pay for my therapy sessions. God knows I'm going to need a lot of it. You're going to end up putting his kids through college," she said as she released me and then gave me her half smile.

"Anything for you," I said. And I meant it.

Steph's POV

After I spent the morning the Erik and Lula, I texted Mary Lou, my best friend from high school and she told me to come over immediately. I pulled up to the house and Mary Lou threw open the door before I could even knock.

I walked in and looked around. "Your house is eerily quiet," I commented.

"That's because I sent Lenny on errands with the kids and then they're stopping for ice cream," she said. "Come on, I already have one," she said.

"Seriously?" I asked.

"Yeah, don't you want to know?" she asked.

"I mean, obviously, I just can't figure out how to feel," I admitted.

"That's okay, Jacob wasn't planned and when I first found out I freaked," she said.

"I mean, I shouldn't freak, right? I'm 32, living with my boyfriend who wants to marry me and he's been so much better about spending time with me. We're in a good place, it just feels like we just got there and a baby, well a baby is a game changer," I said.

"It sure is. Are you worried the way Ranger will react?" she asked me.

"Honestly, I think he'll be ecstatic," I smiled.

Mary Lou smiled at my smile. "I don't think being pregnant would be such a bad thing," she said slowly.

"Me neither," I whispered.

"Alright, let's do this!" she said.

Three long minutes later we were staring at a minus sign on a stick.

"I don't get it!" I said. "I haven't gotten my period, my boobs are swollen, I haven't been feeling well…I was just so sure," I explained.

"Well, this doesn't mean you're off the hook. My first test with Marcus was negative, so was my second, come to think of it. It wasn't till I went to the doctor that they confirmed it. Apparently false negatives are really common, false positives never happen," she said.

"So I still might be pregnant?" I asked.

"Yep. I'd make an appointment to see your doctor, that's the only way to know for sure and you really need a definitive answer," she said.

"Right. I still could be pregnant. I just need a definitive answer," I said agreement.

Mary Lou and I hung out and talked about baby stuff until Lenny and the kids came home. I said a quick hello and then headed back over to the Batcave. There was a family dinner planned at Ranger's parents' since Rachel and Ron and their kids are in town.

Tonight we're going to talk to Julie.

We all got ready and headed over for dinner, as per usual there were cars parked down the block. I have never been to one of Carlos's family parties that were less than twenty people.

Lester, Alex and Ana were already there along with Rachel , Ron and their two kids Mason and Cara.

"There's my girl!" Rachel said as she saw Julie. She rushed over and crushed Julie into a hug. "Three weeks! Three weeks and only five phone calls! Oh, I missed you! Did you have a good time with your dad and Stephanie?" she asked.

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun," Julie answered.

Well, I can't wait to hear all about it," Rachel said. Rachel then hugged and kissed us and Ron came over and kissed my cheek and shook Carlos's hand.

"I hope she wasn't too much trouble," Rachel said.

"Not at all, we love when she comes to visit," I assured her.

I then spent some time with Mason and Cara asking about their Christmas but all they wanted to do was talk to Julie. They clearly missed their big sister and it was really sweet to see.

Dinner went as it usually did with way too much food, lots of laughing and plenty of Spanish_. I really need to learn Spanish. I mean, Carlos will want our children to know it and I don't want to be left out. _I found myself absently running my hand over my abdomen.

I was worried that Carlos would suspect something since I wasn't drinking but considering what happened last night he simply thought I was still hungover. I didn't want to tell him anything until I was sure.

All I know was that I'm happy that I vomited as much as I did. I'm going to have to talk to the doctor about it. I know plenty of women who drank before they knew they were pregnant but I guarantee that weren't drinking the way I did last night_. I really hope that I didn't hurt the baby. Not that I'm pregnant…well I could be. _

_It's a maybe baby._

I shook those thoughts from my head. Alex was holding Ana instead of eating so after I finished, I took Ana so Alex could relax for a moment. I played with Ana's tiny hands and started to imagine that her eyes were blue like mine instead of green, or maybe brown like Carlos's. I couldn't seem to get this baby thing off my mind.

I got lucky and was able to get an appointment with my doctor for early next week to get my definitive answer. It's not like I want to be pregnant, it just wouldn't be so bad if I was.

We finished up dessert and Carlos shot me a look letting me know it was time. I sighed. Maria told us we could use the study. Carlos got Rachel and Ron and I found Julie playing cards with her siblings and cousins.

"Julie, can I see you for a minute?" I asked.

"Sure," she said as she slowly got up from the table. She knew what was coming and by the way her shoulders slumped she wasn't looking forward to it.

I brought her into the study where Carlos, Rachel and Ron were already seated. I took my spot next to Carlos and Julie slouched in a chair.

"We had an issue with Julie and we thought it was best for us all to sit down and talk about it to come up with a suitable punishment," Carlos said calmly.

I specifically told him that I wasn't going to speak much and that I wanted him to do it…as long as he remained calm.

"Julie tried to sneak out to attend a party with a bunch of older boys," Carlos explained.

"What!" gasped Rachel.

"Julie?" asked Ron sharply.

"I was just going to hang out, I wasn't going to drink," Julie tried to explain.

"Do you even know these boys? What you did was dangerous," Rachel pointed out.

"I met them at Inez's. They were nice, and asked me if I wanted to hangout," Julie said.

"How old are these kids?" Ron asked Carlos.

"Around seventeen, I think one of them may have been eighteen," Carlos said.

"What were you thinking? They could've put something in your drink, they could've driven drunk, they could've driven you to the middle of the woods and left you and no one would've known where you were!" Rachel said. I could tell she was getting really upset and struggling to keep it together.

I just kept my mouth shut.

"I never get to do anything! I can't even go to movies with a friend by myself! You won't even let me walk to school!" Julie argued.

"So we don't give you enough freedom and instead of talking to us about it, you decide to take matters into your own hands and sneak out?" Ron asked.

"I was only going to go for a few hours," Julie said.

"Julie, you don't get more privileges by behaving this way," Rachel said.

"You're just scared I'm going to get pregnant and ruin my life like you did yours!" Julie shouted as she began to cry.

"Do not talk to your mother like that, young lady," Carlos warned.

"Julie, do you really think you ruined my life?" Rachel asked.

Julie sniffled. "You just keep saying that you want me to go to college and be happy and travel and that you didn't get to do anything like that because you had me," Julie explained.

"That's all true, but let me ask you something. Do you think I'm happy now?" Rachel asked.

Julie looked bewildered for a moment. "Yeah, you seem happy," she finally said.

"You didn't ruin my life Julie, you made it," Rachel explained.

"Huh?" Julie asked as she continued to sniffle. I finally handed her a tissue so she could blow her nose.

"If I hadn't had you, I would've never met your father at the law firm. I would've never had your brother and sister. I wouldn't have Carlos and Stephanie in my life. I wouldn't have Tia Celia to talk to daily or Abuela Manoso to share recipes with. Honey, I love my life and you were the one that gave it to me. I just missed out on some things that I don't want you to miss out on. I wanted to go away to college and do a semester abroad. I want you to have those options," Rachel explained.

I couldn't help but smile at Rachel; she makes this mom stuff look easy. If I'm really pregnant, she's definitely going in the speed dial.

Julie began wiping the tears away. "Feel better?" Ron asked.

Julie nodded.

"Good, now come here," Rachel said as she held out her arms. Julie got up and hugged Rachel tightly.

"We can talk about you getting to do more things on your own once we get back," Ron said.

"Really?" Julie asked hopefully.

"Of course! We'll have a long discussion around Valentine's Day, because you're grounded for a month. And Julie, if we don't have perfect and I mean perfect behavior you can forget about walking to school or going to the movies with a friend because you'll be grounded until your spring break," Rachel said firmly.

"I think that's a fair punishment. You're lucky Stephanie talked me out of sending you to Tia Luz's farm. Julie, we all love you but your behavior was unacceptable and dangerous. Until you realize this I don't see you getting much more privileges. Understood?" Carlos added.

"Yes," Julie muttered as she looked at the ground.

Carlos, Ron and Rachel began chatting amiably while Julie pouted silently in the corner, looking very much her actual age.


End file.
